ROCHELLE JUNIOR

Sweida – The blockade imposed on Sweida by the Syrian interim government and its militias has entered its second month, escalating the suffering of civilians, causing people to suffer from the lack of food and services. Almost all shops are empty, people wait in lines outside bakeries, water tankers the streets, and health conditions are alarming.

 Women’s resistance

In the midst of the crisis, Sweida’s women have taken an active and creative role in countering the siege. They have developed alternatives such as baking bread at home when flour is available, exchanging food, and supporting the most affected families.

Escalating hardship

The blockade imposed on the city for more than a month has made life unbearable, said Intisar Hamza, a woman of Sweida. “There are very few shops open. Even finding vegetables is difficult, with only a handful of types available. Here, people struggle to get small aid that may seem trivial outside but are in fact essential. The lack of basic supplies affects daily life. The blockade must be immediately lifted as the access to bread and medicine become more difficult.”

 Isolation on villages

Randa Nasr described the situation as a “total blockade” in Sweida. “Even the entry of humanitarian aid is blocked. My village is under siege; people cannot even bury their loved ones because they are targeted by snipers,” Randa Nasr said, adding that hospitals are destroyed and cannot operate, leaving her daughter without medical service. She also talked about the water and power outages. “Life has become paralyzed,” she said, accusing the interim government and foreign media outlets of distorting the reality. “The situation in at least 44 villages is like a catastrophe.”

 Leading role of women

Despite all the challenges, women play a leading role in society. “Many have used traditional ovens, tandooris to bake bread. They share whatever they have,” said Huda al-Tawil. “Women collect aid and food and distribute them to support poor families. There is the spirit of solidarity among the people of Sweida.”

‘We cannot even make tea’

Mufida Fatih told us that her life collapsed due to the blockade. “I used to earn a living by selling my crops; however, people cannot buy anything. I lost my source of income. We also suffer from water shortage. We have to walk for hours and wait in lines for hours just to buy bread. We do not have fuel or wood. We cannot even make tea. The situation is dire,” she told us.

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ROCHELLE JUNİORSüveyda – Geçici Suriye yönetimi ve onlara bağlı çeteler tarafından Süveyda’ya uygulanan kuşatma ikinci ayına girerken, halkın sıkıntıları her geçen gün artıyor. Temel gıda maddele...