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Suffocating Under Siege: Escalating Humanitarian Crisis in Sweida Amid International Inaction
Sweida province is experiencing one of its most severe humanitarian chapters as the siege on the city and its countryside enters its second week. Residents face acute shortages of food, water, and other basic necessities critical to survival.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, dire warnings have emerged from the city’s main automated bakery about the imminent depletion of flour and fuel supplies, threatening a complete halt in bread production—a staple for the population.
Simultaneously, most water tankers have been forced out of service due to a lack of diesel and gasoline, intensifying the drinking water crisis, particularly in neighborhoods and villages dependent on mechanical pumping.
Local markets in Sweida have reported a sharp decline in the availability of vegetables for over ten days. Basic food items are also gradually disappearing from store shelves, as the flow of goods from outside the province has ground to a halt due to the continued closure of the Damascus–Sweida highway. Armed groups stationed near the route have disrupted transportation and blocked supply trucks.
Meanwhile, Syrian Red Crescent teams are working to distribute aid to some of the most vulnerable and affected families. However, the scale of the assistance remains insufficient and only reaches a fraction of those in need.
The Syrian Observatory has issued an urgent appeal, calling for the immediate opening of humanitarian corridors and the provision of essential supplies. It warned that a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe is looming if the situation continues without swift and meaningful international intervention.
