Qatar sends aid to embattled Syrian Druze province of Sweida

Food and medicine was being distributed in Sweida and in shelters in near by Deraa, official says

Aid sent by Qatar is driven towards Sweida, in southern Syria. Getty Images

Qatar has sent aid to the southern Syrian province of Sweida, an official in Doha said, joining Jordan in delivering aid to the mostly Druze area that has been surrounded by Syrian government troops and allied militias since June.

Qatari Minister of State for International Co-operation Maryam Al Misnad said on Saturday that food and medicine was being distributed in Sweida and from shelters in the nearby province of Deraa. "The initiative springs from a moral duty,” Ms Al Misnad said.

According to UN figures in August, more than 161,000 people have been displaced internally by conflict in the area. Many are Druze, the majority within Sweida province. The crisis has undermined an effort by Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara to consolidate power. His forces pushed the regime of Bashar Al Assad out of power in December.

A Qatari plane carrying humanitarian and medical aid at Damascus International Airport. Getty Images

Thousands of Sunnis of Bedouin origin, mostly from Sweida city, the provincial capital, have also been displaced, mainly to neighbouring Deraa.

A Syrian Red Crescent official said that a large consignment of the Qatari aid to Syria arrived by plane in Damascus and one came by land from Jordan in the past few days. Lorries then carried part of the consignment to Deraa and on to Sweida.

“Any international aid to Sweida would need to go through Damascus,” the official said.

Israel, which launched strikes in July that it said were to defend the Druze, has raised the issue of aid to Sweida in talks with the Syrian government mediated by Washington, diplomats said.

On September 2, a UN report said that Sweida is facing a “serious humanitarian crisis”, following the major escalations in July, leading to “a collapse of essential services, widespread displacement, and continuing humanitarian and public access constraints".

Two weeks ago, the Syrian government allowed aid to reach Sweida through the most direct route from Damascus. Deliveries were accompanied for the first time by lorries carrying a private food consignment financed by Druze people.

However, Sweida's Druze population have been trapped and basic goods are in limited supply, residents said. “Basic services in Sweida have gradually improved but major challenges remain,” the UN report said, adding that the electricity network is in “critical need of repair”.

Lack of power has disrupted communications although satellite devices are used in some areas. “Access to such equipment is limited and often unaffordable for most households,” the report said.

It also pointed to an “urgent” need for ambulances to take people to Damascus for complex medical procedures. Treatment in medical centres in Sweida is restricted by a lack of fuel and clean water.

In Deraa, which is home to most of the displaced Bedouin, there is “heavy reliance on schools as primary shelter facilities”, although the government is trying to find a solution.