Humanitarian aid from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) entered Suwayda city in southern Syria on Sunday, July 20, while the spiritual leader of the Druze community, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, rejected the entry of a government delegation and aid provided by the Ministry of Health.

According to the Syrian Ministry of Health’s media office, al-Hijri refused the entry of the official government delegation accompanying the aid convoy and permitted only the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to deliver assistance. As a result, the convoy returned to Damascus along with the government delegation, Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Suwayda confirmed that the aid convoys began entering the governorate via the eastern countryside through the Bosra al-Sham route. Government representatives were denied access, but the aid was allowed in under the supervision of SARC teams.

The correspondent in Daraa added that aid provided by the Ministry of Health was prevented from entering Suwayda and returned to Damascus with Suwayda Governor Mustafa al-Bakkour and Health Minister Musaab al-Ali. However, aid from the Syrian Red Crescent and its staff was allowed to enter.

Earlier in the day, a humanitarian convoy departed from Damascus to Suwayda to deliver urgent relief supplies following a ceasefire agreement.

According to Syrian state TV al-Ikhbariya, the convoy consisted of 32 trucks loaded with food baskets, flour, drinking water, medicine, medical supplies, water tanks, and fuel. The convoy was accompanied by a ministerial delegation including Health Minister Dr. Musaab al-Ali, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Dr. Hind Qabawat, and Suwayda Governor Mustafa al-Bakkour.

Druze Spiritual Leadership Welcomes International Aid Only

In a statement released today, the Druze spiritual leadership, led by al-Hijri, welcomed all humanitarian assistance to the afflicted governorate of Suwayda. However, it stated that aid must come exclusively from international organizations “extending a helping hand to our people during this difficult ordeal.”

The leadership called for an immediate end to what it described as the “brutal attack” on Suwayda and condemned media disinformation campaigns and the spread of malicious rumors aimed at fueling violence and hatred.

Continued Service Disruptions

Suwayda and its surrounding villages have entered their eighth consecutive day without access to food supplies, electricity, or water due to the recent security unrest.

Villages in the southern part of the governorate are reportedly in a better situation, with bakeries resuming operations and stores reopening—mainly because these areas have remained largely unaffected by the latest tensions.