Ali Haj Suleiman

By Francisco Rodríguez, Silvio Rendón, Mark Weisbrot August 1, 2025 Z Article No Comments 26 Mins Read Source: The Lancet

The transformation over two decades of the once thriving Syrian city of Sweida from tourist destination to a landscape marked by violence and loss has been detailed by the chief of a UN migration mission who recently visited the area.

Humanitarians must be able to reach families affected by the “deeply alarming” recent violence in Syria’s Sweida region who need food and other basics to survive, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday.

Top UN human rights investigators said on Thursday that war crimes may have been committed in predominantly Alawite areas of Syria in a wave of deadly violence earlier this year.

The international community must support efforts towards peace and stability in Syria and end the displacement of millions – both within and outside the country – who fled years of war and just want to go home.

Hopes for a peaceful future in post-war Syria are at risk as funding for basic services dries up, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

Nearly a year on from the fall of Assad, Syrians still lack many basic necessities as the transitional government works to shore up the economy and build social cohesion.

Summary executions and other violations continue in Syria nearly a year after the fall of the Assad regime, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday.

More than 1,700 people were killed and nearly 200,000 more displaced in the July 2025 massacres in Sweida , Syria, UN human rights investigators said on Friday in a report that called for greater action towards accountability.

More than a month since war erupted in the Middle East, UN agencies confirmed on Tuesday that huge numbers of people have returned to Syria from Lebanon " exhausted, traumatized and with very, very few belongings". Meanwhile, the UN International Maritime Organization said that another vessel has been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, increasing concerns of further delays in getting lifesaving aid to desperately vulnerable people in conflict settings including Sudan. Stay with us for live updates on this and UN agencies. App users can follow coverage here