UN Experts Warn of Mass Violence Against Syrian Druze Amid Sweida Attacks

United Nations human rights experts have issued a stark warning over a devastating wave of armed assaults against Druze communities in and around Sweida Governorate, Syria, beginning on 13 July 2025. The attacks have left a catastrophic toll: over 1,000 people killed, widespread looting, the burning of villages, enforced disappearances, and reports of sexual and gender-based violence, particularly targeting Druze women and girls.

The experts condemned both the scale of atrocities and the nature of targeted hate campaigns aimed at the Druze minority. Survivors reported forced shaving of religious men’s moustaches—a direct attack on cultural and religious identity—while online platforms circulated calls branding Druze as “traitors” and “infidels,” urging their extermination and the enslavement of women.

Sectarian Clashes Escalate into Massacres

What began as clashes between Bedouin and Druze communities—initially sparked by looting and retaliatory attacks—rapidly spiraled into a multi-faction conflict involving local militias, forces affiliated with the Syrian interim authorities, and other armed groups.

The violence reached a horrific peak in the villages of Ta’ara, Al Doura and Al Douweira, where heavy artillery and machine guns were deployed against civilian populations. Reports confirm that at least 539 Druze civilians were killed, including 39 women and 21 children, with 196 extrajudicial executions carried out. Over 33 villages were torched, displacing thousands. Looting of shops, homes, livestock, and even the use of stolen phones for extortion painted a picture of systematic targeting and exploitation.

Abductions and Sexual Violence

One of the most alarming aspects of the crisis is the abduction of at least 105 Druze women and girls, allegedly carried out by armed groups linked to the Syrian interim authorities. While 25 have reportedly been released, 80 remain missing. Several released women fear returning home due to insecurity and stigma. Disturbing accounts reveal that at least three women were raped before execution, underscoring the brutality of gender-based violence being inflicted.

In total, 763 people remain missing, including women and children, amid fears of mass disappearances and hidden detention sites.

Humanitarian Crisis in Sweida

The escalating conflict has compounded an already dire humanitarian situation. The UN estimates that 192,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) are sheltering across Sweida, Dar’a and Homs Governorates. Many have fled multiple times due to renewed clashes, including fresh violence in Najran and Al Thaala on 9 August 2025.

Israeli airstrikes, restrictions imposed by interim Syrian authorities, and ongoing ground fighting have crippled essential services in Sweida city. Power grids and water networks are largely inoperable, leaving displaced families in overcrowded shelters without reliable food, clean water, or medical support. Reports of unburied bodies in residential zones have triggered serious public health fears, as disease outbreaks loom in already fragile conditions.

Systemic Failures and Impunity

The UN experts sharply criticized what they described as “systemic failures” to protect minorities and prevent atrocities. They highlighted a lack of independent investigations into extrajudicial killings, abductions, torture, and gender-based crimes, accusing interim authorities of complicity. Reports suggest that security forces not only failed to protect the Druze communities but may have directly aided the attacks, perpetuating a climate of impunity and fear.

Druze university students in Damascus, Homs, Aleppo and Latakia report ongoing harassment and intimidation, raising concerns that persecution extends beyond conflict zones into urban centers controlled by interim forces.

UN Demands for Urgent Action

The UN experts issued a series of urgent calls:

• The Syrian interim authorities must allow prompt, independent and impartial investigations into all reported crimes.

• Perpetrators must be prosecuted, and the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared must be established.

• Authorities must protect all minorities, including Druze communities, and immediately end hate speech and incitement to violence.

• Internally displaced persons must have swift access to humanitarian relief, clean water, medical care, and safe shelter.

• Special protections must be extended to women and girls, who face heightened risks of sexual violence, exploitation and trafficking.

Broader Implications

The crisis in Sweida highlights the ongoing fragility of Syria’s fractured political and social landscape. Experts warned that without addressing discrimination, exclusion, and unresolved conflicts, the conditions remain ripe for the recurrence of terrorism and sectarian violence.

“The rights to life, liberty, and security must be upheld for all communities,” the experts stressed, calling for urgent international support to prevent further escalation.

The UN remains in direct contact with the interim authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic, but observers note that effective action to halt the atrocities and bring relief to the Druze minority remains gravely overdue.