Messages and appeals launched by residents in the Hawd al-Yarmouk villages of Ain Thakar, Nafa’a, Ash-shajarah, Jmla, Bait Ara among others, located in the west countryside of Daraa, increased recently due to the imposed siege imposed on the region by armed opposition factions affiliated with “the Southern Front”. Currently, Hawd al-Yarmouk is controlled by “Jaysh Khaled ibn al-Walid.” which is a group of armed platoons aligned with the Islamic State/ISIS (also known as Daesh) since May 2016. These platoons are Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade, Islamic Muthanna Movement, Army of Jihad, Hamza Asadullah Battalion and the Ansar al-Aqsa group.
These resident appeals came after “gradual siege” imposed on the area and coincided with military confrontations between the above mentioned forces. The clashes caused dozens of civilian deaths mostly due to the indiscriminate bombarding carried out by the armed opposition forces.
The result was at least two massacres. The first was on March 23, 2016 when more than 15 civilians were killed in Jelin village due to mortar shells and heavy artillery missiles that fell on their houses. Three children were among the victims who were identified as Sader al-Mohamaedi’s son and two children from al-Qasiri family. In addition, four people from al-Qasiri family were killed as well as woman identified only by her first name, Sawsan.
The second massacre was on October 2016 in ash-Shajarah when 13 civilians including three children and a pregnant woman were killed. It is difficult to get accurate information about the massacre because of the severe restriction put in place by the armed platoons controlling the Hawd region.
The “Reconciliation Committee in Houran”, which many dignitaries from Daraa province, was created to resolve any disputes that may occur across the province and is well respected in the province. At this point, however, the committee has not succeeded in finding a compromise formula that persuades the armed platoons to lift the siege or at least to allow access to humanitarian aid to the trapped people.
Abo Hadi, an activist from Daraa elaborated on the current situation:
“The administration of the “Ain Thakar” crossing point, which was controlled by Ahrar al-sham al-Islamiyya, a platton not affiliated to the “Southern Front” but with the MOC room in Jordan, was surrendered to armed oppositions platoons two months ago, November 2016. Since then, a full siege was implemented and relief items, medicines, heating supplies and fuels were prevented from entering the region. Also, a few days ago, a number of trucks that bring bread to people were damaged. These were the same trucks that the Reconciliation Body in Horan had co-operated with other local councils of besieged villages in the Hwad to allow access to the villages.. The humanitarian situation is worsening as the little amounts of wheat saved by the residents are about to run out like all the other basic materials that have already run out”.
Abo Hadi added,
“The evacuation of civilians to the opposition-held territories is too difficult because if it could occur, it would be too difficult since the only way out is through negotiation or or knowing members of the opposition faction. Even if any civilian dares to try to get out, he or she will experience different types of insults, just as when you get out of the Syrian government-operated checkpoints. The opposition members claim that civilians there support Jaysh Khalid ibn al-Walid Army. In addition, there are many families, who live in Tasil village, that are prevented to be back to their homes in the Hawd region”.
Abo Hadi also stated that the group -Jaysh Khalid ibn al-Walid Arm- also has a role in preventing humanitarian aid reaching civilians. Instead of sharing the supplies, they distribute all the available (or provided) essential items to members or their families, including heating supplies. When it comes to health care, the only medical center in the region aids only the opposition members or their families. Civilians are not allowed to be treated there. In terms of hospitals, there are two, the general hospital and the obstetric hospital. Both are completely out of service and do not receive any patients due to lack of medicine, medical staff, and fuel. The obstetric hospital was also bombarded by the armed oppositions factions.
Civilians cannot stand with any party because any mistake they commit will lead to their arrest by either the group or the armed opposition. Abo Omar, an engineer said.
The opposition call residents of the Hawd to evacuate. However, some refuse as there are no areas to shelter in, and even if they agree, the group do not allow because it uses them as human shields preventing by that any assault attempts carried out by the opposition. Abo Omar added.
Elsewhere, women who get out or into Hawd al-Yarmouk experience lots of abuse by the armed opposition platoons who imposed the siege. Several appeals to end these abuses, which are almost systematic-not individual, have failed.
Head of the Court of the House of Justice in Daraa, Esmat al-Abssi, stated that the court does not support the siege imposed on Hawd al-Yarmouk border region and that he sent a message to a checkpoint operated by the Free Syrian Army in Tasil town to facilitate the passage of civilians. However, Jaysh Khalid ibn al-Walid denied the last Daraa province Council-declared initiative which demanded opening al-Allan road from the Golan towards Hawd al-Yarmouk to enable it to become a humanitarian corridor for residents which would be free from harassment by both sides. Armed opposition factions,the Faloja-Horan Group, Al Haramain Brigade, Shabab Asuna Forces, Ahrar Nawa Group and the 46th Infantry Regiment), did agree with the initiative, but the group -Jaysh Khalid ibn al-Wali- rejected it.
Some of the dignitaries in Hawd al-Yarmouk along with the residents released a statement in which they appealed to all the relevant parties in Horan to help to lift the siege.
A map illustrates the geographical site known as Hawd al-Yarmouk in the far south-west of Syria.
*Note: The author of this report is a defender of human rights defenders in Syria from Daraa province whose name withheld due to security reasons.