The fall of the Assad regime raised hopes that the era of wartime shortages was finally over. But in Suweida, that hope is quickly fading. While active fighting in the governorate has largely subsided, the suffering has not. Severe shortages of food, fuel, and medicine are pushing the city to the brink, with residents blaming what they describe as a siege imposed by the transitional government.
The authorities deny any blockade, pointing instead to the entry of humanitarian aid and attributing the shortages to traders’ fears of entering the province due to insecurity. But beyond the finger-pointing, both sides point to the same underlying truth: restricted access is choking the local economy and worsening the humanitarian crisis.
Aid deliveries, while critical, are not enough. Only the restoration of regular commercial supply routes can end the shortages and bring relief. The transitional government is best positioned to act—and it must. Damascus should extend the same protections to commercial shipments that it already provides to humanitarian convoys, ensuring that goods can reach Suweida safely and consistently.
This is not just about food and medicine. It is about restoring trust, stability, and unity in a country still struggling to piece itself back together.
