After a week of brutal fighting, relative calm returned to the Druze-majority city of Sweida, Syria, as humanitarian aid convoys entered the area Sunday.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, over 1,100 people have been killed in recent clashes, including hundreds of Druze fighters, civilians, and government forces. Clashes between Druze factions and government-aligned Bedouin fighters erupted last week, prompting fears of ethnic cleansing.
Witnesses and medics report that the fighting has ceased within the city, though conditions remain dire: the city lacks electricity, water, and food, and hospital morgues are overwhelmed with bodies.
A ceasefire was announced Saturday by Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and Druze fighters reportedly regained control of the city. The United States confirmed it helped broker the truce, while urging all sides to halt violence and protect minorities.
The UN says more than 128,000 people have been displaced.
