Damascus: The southern region of Syria is grappling with a severe humanitarian and social crisis as tens of thousands of Bedouin families remain displaced following deadly sectarian clashes in Sweida province. Once coexisting with the local Druze population for generations, these Bedouin communities now face destroyed homes, fractured livelihoods, and a grim future with little chance of returning to their ancestral lands.
The crisis erupted in mid-July after the kidnapping of a Druze merchant escalated into violent confrontations between Druze militias and Bedouin groups. Over the course of several days, the violence spiraled, resulting in more than 1,000 deaths, predominantly among the Druze, according to monitoring organizations. The clashes forced an estimated 70,000 Bedouins to flee their homes, many seeking refuge in neighboring Daraa province. Some local leaders claim that nearly the entire Bedouin population of Sweida has been uprooted.
Survivors recount harrowing experiences of abductions, home invasions, and targeted attacks. The Sbeih family, for example, was forcibly detained in a school by Druze gunmen before managing to escape. Tragically, their daughter Malak was killed just a day before her wedding. These personal stories illustrate the human cost of the conflict, with entire communities witnessing the destruction of decades of property, farmland, and livelihoods.
Despite government promises of a 13-point roadmap, facilitated with assistance from U.S. and Jordanian envoys, the prospects of return remain bleak. Local Druze leaders, aligned with cleric Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajari and controlling regional militias, have insisted that Bedouins cannot return for the time being, blaming them for prior conflicts and labeling them a “threat” to the area. Meanwhile, displaced families struggle with destroyed homes and livelihoods. One man recounted that he had spent 17 years working abroad to build a home and cultivate crops, all of which were obliterated in moments of violence.
Analysts warn that the sectarian rift between Druze and Bedouin communities reflects deeper fissures in Syria’s fragile post-war society. Trust between the groups has been severely eroded, and without institutional support or neutral security guarantees, reconciliation appears distant. The conflict also exposes the difficulties the Syrian government faces in protecting minority communities, restoring governance, and maintaining stability in contested regions.
Displaced Bedouins remain dependent on precarious aid, often living in schools, tents, or temporary accommodations. Security vacuums persist in many Sweida villages, dominated by local militias, making return dangerous. Meanwhile, accusations of atrocities committed by both sides including looting, home burnings, and abductions have left deep scars, complicating any efforts toward reconciliation.
For Syria’s displaced Bedouins, the future is uncertain. Their ancestral lands remain inaccessible, and the cycle of mistrust and violence hinders any hope of a safe return. The crisis in Sweida underscores the enduring fragility of community bonds, the high human cost of sectarian tensions, and the broader challenges of restoring social cohesion in a country still reeling from over a decade of war.