Druze leader sponsors Hospital to support Suwayda’s war-affected population
SUWAYDA, Syria (North Press) – Ismail al-Arbid, director of al-Hikma Hospital in Suwayda Governorate, southern Syria, told North Press on Thursday that the hospital is receiving support from Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Palestine.
Al-Arbid explained that Sheikh Tarif’s initiative to adopt Al-Hikma Hospital aims to assist a wide range of individuals affected by the recent events in Suwayda.
At the end of September, Sheikh Tarif announced his sponsorship of the hospital to provide free medical services to the war-wounded, injured, and displaced.
In mid-July 2025, a local dispute rapidly escalated into wide-scale intercommunal violence across Suwayda Governorate. The fighting involved Druze local militias, Sunni Bedouin tribal fighters and, at times, Syrian government forces and affiliated security units.
The period saw mass killings, looting, forced displacement, and waves of abduction and enforced disappearance that continue to reverberate. International bodies and rights groups have documented grave abuses and called for independent investigations.
The initiative also included specialized programs to support pregnant women living in shelters.
“These initiatives aim to assist individuals who were injured or displaced as a result of the recent attack on Suwayda Governorate,” he said.
“They cover all the wounded and all the displaced families from their villages, providing them with free, high-quality medical care at al-Hikma Hospital, using advanced equipment and modern technologies,” al-Arbid added.
A dedicated program, named “Mahd” (Cradle), was also launched. It covers the full costs of both natural and cesarean deliveries for pregnant women in shelters, while ensuring hospital stays are equipped with essential supplies for mothers and their newborns, including clothing and care items, according to al-Arbid.
He noted that al-Hikma Hospital was chosen because “it is the most modern, the largest, and the best-equipped medical facility in southern Syria.”