As-Suwayda: Anatomy of a Humanitarian Catastrophe :Souhayla Saab

Report shared by Niloufar Pourzand

From a Syrian friend
Niloufar

Unpublished document (PDF) 

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Summary 

 This report provides a comprehensive, first-hand account of the ongoing humanitarian disaster in As-Suwayda, Syria, as of July 2025. It traces the region’s historical marginalization and the erosion of its autonomy under the Assad regime, followed by the manipulation of sectarian tensions between Druze and Bedouin communities. 

 After the regime's fall in 2023, local self-governance briefly took root before being threatened by the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which imposed exclusionary and repressive rule. 

 In July 2025, violence escalated drastically, with military units attacking As-Suwayda, killing civilians and medical workers, and forcing the National Hospital to cease operations. The population is now besieged, cut off from basic services, and facing what the author calls a humanitarian catastrophe. 

 A final urgent appeal is made for international intervention and the designation of As-Suwayda as a disaster zone under international humanitarian protocols. 

Quotes - “This moral stance… came at a high cost. Thousands of young men… found themselves confined to the governorate, unable to leave due to the risk of arrest.” - 

“Among those killed were Dr. Faten Hilal… and Dr. Talaat Amer… executed by a gunshot to the head en route to the hospital.” - 

“The National Hospital in As-Suwayda has declared itself officially out of service.” - “Failure to act now will result in the further loss of civilian life and the deepening of an already catastrophic crisis.”