UN Humanitarian Convoy Set to Support Crisis-Hit Sweida

The United Nations prepares a humanitarian aid convoy to Syria's Sweida province, following intense clashes that have resulted in over 1,000 deaths and displaced 175,000. The convoy marks the beginning of broad access to aid, with many residents still in dire need of basic supplies.

The United Nations is poised to dispatch a humanitarian convoy to Syria's southern province of Sweida after affirmations from three aid officials. This move follows a period of severe conflict that has left hundreds of individuals deceased and forced approximately 175,000 others to abandon their homes.

In an advancement for relief efforts, Syria's foreign ministry has permitted direct access for U.N. aid agencies to Sweida, according to documentation reviewed by Reuters. Previously, aid deliveries were coordinated through the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. The upcoming convoy, set to deliver food and essential supplies, in tandem with various U.N. agencies, represents a pivotal effort for comprehensive aid distribution.

The turmoil in Sweida erupted on July 13 when Druze factions and Bedouin tribal fighters clashed violently. Syrian government troops have intervened to suppress the rising tensions, resulting in over 1,000 fatalities as reported by the Syrian Network for Human Rights. A fragile ceasefire, facilitated by the U.S., has momentarily subdued the violence, but a significant lack of electricity, food, medicine, and water persists for residents.

(With inputs from agencies.)