Inside a school for Syrian refugee children fleeing Turkish military bombardment
Al-Hasakka, Syria — A refugee crisis is growing in Syria, more than two months after President Trump proclaimed the U.S. mission in that country effectively over. Syrian and Russian forces are pounding rebel-held Idlib province.
The U.N. said on Friday that 235,000 people have fled their homes in the region just this month.
The iron bars make it feel like a prison, but this school is now home for these children and their families. An emergency refuge, after fleeing a Turkish military bombardment with no more than the clothes on their backs.
Little girls talked about the air strikes that rained down on their village.
Nine-year-old Silva described the terrifying night when Turkish-backed troops invaded, but she said she wants to go home again. "I want to go back to our school and learn to become a teacher. I want America to get us back," she said.
Children make up the vast majority of more than 200,000 people who fled the Turkish invasion, according to the U.N.
And all too often, they're the victims, like those caught up in the alleged white phosphorus attack by Turkey.
For children who have such an incredible trauma, playtime is a sort of psychological therapy. And yes, the tune that is recognizable to parents the world over: "Baby Shark" is big here too, because having fun is a serious matter.
And while shelters like these are commonplace here — consequences of Syrian regime bombardments, or ISIS rampages — this is a conflict that began as a result of Mr. Trump's decision to pull back American troops.
Children have always shown a remarkable resilience in conflict zones, partly because they can't entirely grasp the seriousness of the situation.
And because they can only believe their parents when they're told everything is going to be alright.