ALEPPO, Syria — Daraa al-Balad markets in Syria’s southern province of Daraa are witnessing a shortage in various basic materials and commodities, including medicines, fuel, bread and drinking water, while prices of goods have significantly increased, amid an almost complete power outage due to the siege imposed by the Syrian government in mid-June. 

On June 24, the government forces began to impose their siege on the neighborhoods of Daraa al-Balad, by closing the roads linking these neighborhoods to Daraa city, after the residents refused the Russian military police’s demand to hand over 200 small individual weapons, in addition to 20 BKC automatic machine guns.

In a June 27 statement, the Central Committee in Daraa province — formed by the opposition to negotiate with the government — accused Russia of abandoning its role as a guarantor of the 2018 settlement agreement reached in southern Syria between the Syrian opposition and the government and pressuring the residents. It said that Russian Gen. Assad Allah used all methods of siege and intimidation, threatening to bring in reinforcements from the Iranian militias and sending warplanes to sow terror among children, women and the elderly.

The government forces took control of the Daraa governorate in July 2018 and imposed a settlement with Russian sponsorship. The terms of the settlement agreement included handing over heavy and medium weapons owned by the Free Syrian Army factions in Daraa to the government. It seems that the government, with the support of Russia, wants to amend the terms of the settlement and get ahold of light weapons as well.