"World Health Organization": Severe Humanitarian Crisis in Sweida Due to Ongoing Violence

Hospitals and health facilities in the Sweida province in southern Syria are under immense pressure due to the recent escalation of violence, according to warnings from the World Health Organization.

Christina Bethke, the organization's representative in Syria, emphasized in a video call with journalists in Geneva that "the situation in Sweida is grim, with health facilities under immense pressure... Electricity and water services are cut off, and essential medicines are running out," as reported by Reuters.

In response, the United Nations coordinated a field visit to assess humanitarian needs in the region. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that a joint mission from several UN agencies visited the Damascus countryside to provide aid to over 500 families displaced due to the recent clashes.

Faran Haq, deputy spokesperson for the United Nations, stated that the team visited the Sayeda Zeinab area, with plans to soon visit the Daraa province to support thousands of displaced persons there, according to the official UN website.

As part of the emergency response, humanitarian aid was distributed in Sweida yesterday, including medical supplies that reached the Sweida National Hospital through a Syrian Red Crescent convoy. The UN spokesperson reiterated in their daily press briefing that the organization continues to collaborate with Syrian authorities and partners to ensure aid reaches the province.

Clashes erupted on July 13 between local armed groups and tribal forces, escalating into bloody confrontations involving government forces. The violence was accompanied by widespread violations, including field executions, house burnings, and looting of properties by all parties.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the violence has resulted in the deaths of at least 814 people, including 34 women and 20 children, as well as 6 medical personnel (including 3 women) and 2 media workers. Over 903 individuals have been injured to varying degrees in Sweida since the start of the clashes until the date of this report. These numbers are based on preliminary information that has been verified, according to the network.