Daijiworld Media Network - Damascus

Damascus, Jul 29: Syrian interim authorities, in coordination with international aid agencies and local partners, dispatched a fourth humanitarian aid convoy to the southern province of Sweida on Tuesday, amid lingering unrest and widespread shortages following recent clashes and a fragile ceasefire.

According to state-run SANA news agency, the convoy of 22 trucks carried:

• 27,000 litres of fuel
• 2,000 food baskets
• 2,000 hygiene kits
• 10,000 bottles of drinking water
• 40 tons of flour
• Various medical supplies

The aid delivery is part of ongoing efforts to stabilize the region, which has seen protests, accusations of siege-like conditions, and a tense calm since a ceasefire was declared earlier this month following a wave of sectarian violence, Israeli airstrikes, and reports of human rights abuses.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, reported that civilians have taken to the streets, accusing authorities of cutting off access to basic services. Many claim the region has been effectively isolated under a de facto blockade.

The ceasefire, brokered on July 19, came after violence erupted on July 12, reportedly triggered by a series of mutual kidnappings between Druze factions and Bedouin tribes. The situation escalated quickly, drawing in Syrian security forces, and leading to what UN officials have called widespread violations.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen, briefing the Security Council on Monday, warned that the recent escalation had severely disrupted Syria's fragile transition and called for urgent political and security reforms.

“Syrians are reeling from the appalling violence in Sweida — violence that should never have happened,” Pedersen said. He also condemned what he called "unacceptable foreign intervention," referring to recent Israeli airstrikes near Sweida and Damascus, which reportedly resulted in both civilian and military casualties.

Graphic videos of alleged extrajudicial killings, looting, and sectarian attacks have circulated widely on social media, stoking tensions and spreading disinformation.

While direct fighting has calmed, the situation remains highly volatile, with hundreds reported dead and civilian infrastructure heavily damaged. Pedersen underscored that both state and non-state actors were responsible for abuses.

Despite the humanitarian deliveries, tensions in Sweida remain high, and the international community continues to monitor the situation closely amid fears of renewed violence.