On 13 July 2025, violent clashes broke out in Suwayda, southern Syria. Conflict began after Bedouins (nomadic Arab tribes), robbed a Druze merchant (Druze are a large religious group in Syria) on the road between Suwayda and Damascus. The Druze retaliated by kidnapping several Bedouins. Violence rapidly escalated between the two groups. Many Christian families are separated, as women and children flee Suwayda to find safety.
Rama*, a Syrian Christian, fled with her children leaving her husband behind. Today, she still receives counselling at a new Open Doors’ counselling centre in Damascus.
“They came from the west to Suwayda. We were so scared,” says the mother of two adult children. “They started killing everybody.”
The Syrian government tried to intervene, but the situation only deteriorated. There were reports of extrajudicial killings and abuses committed by all sides. Over 1,000 people were killed during the weeks of violence.
According to different sources, killings and extrajudicial killings were perpetrated by the government, Druze, and Bedouins. Days after conflict erupted, the government retreated, forced by Israel who vowed to protect the Druze population. To put pressure on the Syrian government, they bombed Syrian troops and a government building in Damascus.
CHRISTIANS TRAPPED BY CONFLICT
Following the government’s withdrawal, conflict continued between Bedouins and Druze. Christians have been caught in the middle. Several churches were damaged along with over 30 Christian houses, leaving families displaced.
Hundreds sheltered in a church for two weeks, too afraid to return home. Rama shares, “There was a mix of people in the church, Christians, Alawite, and Druze, some 400 people all together. There was almost no food. We mainly lived on one meal a day. There was shortage of water. We slept on the chairs of the church the first days.
“We always lived together peacefully. In the streets, you can’t distinguish Druze men and women from Christian men and women. When the violence started, I wanted to leave with my children, but we couldn’t, the area was surrounded. We heard stories of how they attacked women, girls. I knew I couldn’t leave my daughter living there, she is in her early twenties. My husband said, ‘protect the children and leave’. After 26 days, we could; there was a humanitarian passage opened that day. We left for Damascus.”
A FAMILY DIVIDED
Rama, her son, and daughter are now safe in Damascus, while her husband remains in Suwayda to protect their home and continue his work. Rama is grateful for the support she receives from the counselling centre. It is unknown how many Christians left Suwayda, but hundreds are displaced because of the violence.
The situation in Suwayda remains tense and unstable. The area is under Druze authority, and there is no government control.
Pray for Syria
- Pray for Suwayda and for believers who still live there. Ask God for their protection and for peace in the area.
- Pray for the Druze, Bedouin, and Syrian Government, that they will come to know Jesus.
- Pray for Christian families like Rama’s, separated because of the violence. Ask God to keep them all safe and reunite them soon.
Stay updated with the latest prayer requests from the persecuted church.
