UN experts worry over ongoing violence against Druze population in Syria

UN experts expressed deep concern on Thursday over the continuous violence against the Druze population in the Sweida region in Syria.

Since mid-July, these UN experts have received reports of “killings, enforced disappearances, abductions, looting, destruction of property, and sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls.” The UN experts also emphasized that gender-based violence has been prevalent. Specifically, the experts reported that an estimated 105 Druze women and girls have been abducted by armed groups in connection with the Syrian interim authorities.

The treatment of Druze communities in Syria has urged the experts to call for independent investigations:

These reported violations expose an apparent systemic failure to protect minorities and address gender-based