SUWAYDA, Syria (North Press) – More than a year after residents of villages in the countryside of Suwayda, southern Syria, were displaced following the July 2025 violence, families remain in shelters in Suwayda city amid difficult living conditions and calls for security and basic services to be restored to allow them to return home and regain their livelihoods.
The continued displacement comes as the Syrian-Jordanian-U.S. roadmap for Suwayda remains stalled, despite Damascus and Amman revisiting the plan in recent days.
The three parties launched the roadmap on Sep. 16, 2025, outlining steps including facilitating the return of displaced people, compensating those affected, rebuilding villages, restoring basic services, determining the fate of missing people, holding perpetrators of violations accountable, and launching a local reconciliation process.
In June, UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone told the UN Security Council that the roadmap had made no progress in implementation, citing continued factors including kidnappings and rivalry among factions. Nevertheless, Syrian, U.S. and Jordanian officials renewed discussions this September on implementing the roadmap and advancing the process.
Loss of livelihoods
Mansour Breik, one of the displaced residents, told North Press that people from his village lost a significant portion of their sources of income after leaving.
According to Breik, some homes were damaged and set on fire, while agricultural land, olive trees and crops including wheat and barley were also damaged, affecting the livelihoods on which families depended.
Breik said residents left their villages in search of safety, initially moving to Suwayda city before settling in shelters. The loss of income and shortages of some services have made their living conditions more difficult, he added.
He said returning to their villages and homes remains a priority for residents, along with restoring their livelihoods and being able to resume their normal lives.
Return home
Linda Kiwan, from Sahwat al-Khader village and married to a resident of Thaala, said she left her home during the violence. She said three of her husband’s nephews were killed.
Kiwan said she left quantities of crops and food supplies, along with other belongings, at her home. She described living conditions at her current location as difficult, particularly as meeting daily needs depends on having a source of income.
She said residents are trying to adapt to displacement but stressed that her main wish is to return to her home and town once suitable conditions are in place.
Nadia Nasr, from Najran, told North Press that she has been living away from her home for about a year and described her family’s living conditions as difficult.
Nasr said her home was burned and that her family lost a number of belongings and sources of income, including shops, vehicles and livestock. She also attributed other property damage to government forces that entered the area, according to her account.
She said she supports five daughters and that her family is struggling to meet its basic needs, while the status of some of the properties and homes they left remains unclear.
Nasr called for damaged homes to be repaired and for residents to receive assistance or support to restore their sources of income. She said returning requires rehabilitating homes and providing basic living conditions, as well as resolving property-related issues.
Meanwhile, Uday al-Azimi, director of the Suleiman Ashti Center in Masad village in the countryside of Suwayda, said the center, which houses around 19 to 20 families, faces shortages in some basic services.
Al-Azimi told North Press that support for shelters remains important at the current stage, but said returning residents to their villages and homes once suitable conditions are established remains the most important long-term solution.
Residents and activists involved in return efforts say restoring normal life in the affected villages depends on providing security, repairing homes, restoring basic services and helping families regain their livelihoods. Some of these issues are addressed in the tripartite roadmap, whose implementation continues to face obstacles more than a year after the July violence.