The US State Department announced on Monday, October 27, that it is providing humanitarian assistance to Suwayda (southern Syria) as part of efforts to restore stability in southern Syria, according to a statement from the department.

The statement said the aid targets around 60,000 people from the Druze, Christian, and Bedouin communities who have faced violence, destruction of homes, and loss of livelihoods.

Support will include food, clean water, and urgent health supplies, as well as the rehabilitation of homes and water networks to facilitate the return of residents when security conditions allow.

Although hostilities have subsided in the area, the statement noted that security remains unstable, which restricts supply movements, affects civilian safety, and hinders the return of about 187,000 displaced people to their homes.

The assistance aims to meet the needs of displaced families residing in shelters and host communities and to ease the impact of ongoing disruptions to supply chains that feed local markets.

The United States concluded by urging partner countries to provide life-saving assistance to Syrians seeking to rebuild their lives, calling humanitarian relief in Syria an essential step toward lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.

United Nations Warning

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on October 6 that the humanitarian situation in southern Syria, especially in Suwayda, continues to deteriorate despite a reduction in fighting since July.

OCHA said it has conducted 19 humanitarian missions to southern Syria since the start of hostilities, including 12 to Suwayda, five to Daraa (southern Syria), and two to Rural Damascus, to assess the needs of affected residents and displaced people.

Volatile security is hampering aid access and limiting efforts to protect civilians, while essential services in Suwayda are under severe strain due to conflict, economic decline, and administrative hurdles. Food, health, and agricultural crises are worsening, the statement added.

OCHA called for urgent agricultural support before the planting season from October through December to prevent further food insecurity. It also warned that Shahba Hospital faces acute shortages of water, electricity, communications, and medical supplies.

The statement noted that 62 schools being used as shelters closed with the start of the school year, displacing more than 7,400 people.

Suwayda Events

The Suwayda events began on July 12, following mutual kidnappings between residents of the al-Maqous neighborhood in Suwayda city, which has a large Bedouin community, and several Druze locals. The next day, the situation escalated into clashes.

The Syrian government intervened on July 14 to end the conflict. The intervention was accompanied by violations against Druze civilians, prompting local factions to respond, including some that had previously cooperated with the Ministries of Defense and Interior.

On July 16, government forces withdrew from Suwayda after being targeted by Israeli strikes. Violations and acts of reprisal against Bedouin residents followed, leading to the arrival of armed convoys described as tribal relief mobilizations in their support.

Subsequently, the Syrian government and Israel reached a US-mediated agreement to halt military operations.