Displacement continues through Bosra al-Sham crossing

Shafaq News - Bosra al-Sham

98 families—totaling 391 individuals, including women and children—left Suwayda individually through Bosra al-Sham crossing on Wednesday, while 32 families comprising 128 individuals returned to the province, the Syrian Civil Defense stated on Wednesday.

Estimates from field sources and rights organizations, including the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, vary on the number of those displaced or returning in recent days. Reported figures range from 115 to 196 departing families (344 to 884 people), in addition to an estimated 85 families—roughly 300 to 350 people—who left in a convoy organized by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. The number of returnees has been estimated between 90 and 124 families (350 to 519 people).

This wave of displacement comes amid a total blackout of electricity, water, and communications in Suwayda that has persisted for weeks. Most private bakeries have shut down due to shortages of flour and fuel, while public bakeries are operating at half capacity.

Local activists told Shafaq News that these conditions have pushed many families to leave their homes in search of safer, more stable areas, despite the security risks posed by road travel.

The crisis dates back to July 12, when security tensions in Suwayda escalated into armed clashes between local groups and Syrian government forces. The violence resulted in hundreds of casualties and mass displacement, with observers calling it one of the province's most severe humanitarian challenges in recent years.

The Bosra al-Sham crossing was reopened in early August after a temporary closure due to the escalation. It has since become a key route for humanitarian aid and civilian movement. However, local sources report that aid flows remain insufficient to meet the growing needs, as partial blockades persist in some areas alongside a continued decline in security and economic conditions.