Syrian forces block aid, media as Sweida faces growing siege
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Sweida is under blockade amid food and fuel shortages. Syrian forces blocked media teams and aid convoys, worsening the humanitarian crisis in the province.
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Druze militiamen ride a motorcycle past the site of an Israeli strike last week on the main road outside the town of Sweida, Syria, Friday, July 25, 2025. (AP)
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Sunday that a checkpoint operated by General Security in the Busr al-Sham area has blocked foreign media teams from entering Sweida province, despite their possession of official permits from the Ministry of Information in Damascus.
Among the crews denied entry was a team from the Associated Press, which had arrived from Daraa with full documentation. However, they were informed that an additional approval was needed from Sweida's internal security chief, Ahmad al-Dalati, who refused entry after a prolonged exchange, forcing the journalists to return to Damascus without completing their assignment.
Aid convoy denied entry as conditions worsen
In a separate incident, the Observatory reported that Syrian security forces also barred a humanitarian aid convoy of 14 trucks from entering Sweida, permitting only a single truck to pass. Media outlets were also prevented from accessing the area, deepening the information blackout around the province’s worsening conditions.
Sweida has been under an increasingly tight blockade for over a week, causing severe shortages of essential supplies, including food, water, fuel, and basic services. Civil society groups and local organizations have issued urgent appeals to the international community and UN agencies, demanding the establishment of a safe humanitarian corridor to deliver aid.
Local workers at Sweida’s state-run bakery have warned that flour and fuel supplies are nearing depletion, threatening to halt production. The shortage of diesel and gasoline has also immobilized water delivery trucks, further exacerbating the region’s drinking water crisis.
Daily life collapsing amid fuel, food shortages
Residents are facing acute shortages of vegetables and staple foods as armed groups continue to block the Damascus-Sweida road, cutting off critical supply lines, according to the Observatory.
The Syrian Arab Red Crescent has continued distributing limited aid to some of the poorest families in the area. However, the scope of the relief efforts remains insufficient, with most residents still enduring worsening living conditions.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has called for immediate international intervention to avert a deeper collapse of daily life in Sweida. It has urged humanitarian organizations to secure emergency provisions and establish access routes into the besieged province.
Hundreds killed in Sweida
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Saturday that the death toll in Sweida Province has reached 1,420 people since July 13, amid ongoing clashes, field executions, and repeated Israeli airstrikes.
According to the Observatory, the casualties include 678 residents of Sweida, among them 145 civilians, including 21 children and 56 women. The report also confirmed the death of 469 members of the Ministry of Defense and General Security, including 40 from Bedouin tribes and one Lebanese national.
The Observatory added that 15 members of the Syrian Defense and Interior Ministries were killed in Israeli air raids. Additionally, three civilians, including a woman and two unidentified individuals, were killed when Israeli warplanes bombed the ministry building.
The report highlighted the scale of field executions, stating that 250 people were executed by personnel from the Defense and Interior Ministries. Among the victims were 12 women, 8 children, and an elderly man. The Observatory also reported that three Bedouin tribespeople, including a woman and a child, were executed by armed Druze factions.
Observatory warns of truce collapse
Despite the official declaration of a ceasefire in Sweida, the daily rise in casualties points to the fragility of the current calm and a rapidly deteriorating security situation, the Observatory warned. It criticized the lack of a monitoring mechanism or accountability for those violating the truce.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights condemned what it described as a blatant breach of the ceasefire, holding the responsible parties fully accountable for endangering civilian lives. It called on all factions to respect the declared truce and spare civilians the horrors of war and repeated violations.
On Saturday, heavy anti-aircraft fire was reported in the western neighborhoods of Sweida city, originating from the Kanaker area. Tal al-Hadid and its surroundings were targeted with heavy shelling by Bedouin tribal groups, marking a clear violation of the current truce.
This escalation comes amid ongoing looting and vandalism in the town of Kanaker, now in its second day, taking place openly under the watch of General Security forces controlling western Sweida.
The Observatory warned that such actions are exacerbating civilian suffering and disrupting daily life, urging all parties to respect the truce and guarantee the rights of residents in affected areas.
