Syrian girl taught to laugh at bombs resettles in Turkey

Syrian girl taught to laugh at bombs resettles in Turkey
Salwa, a three-year-old Syrian girl who went viral for laughing at bombs in Idlib, is given a chance at a safer childhood in Turkey.
2 min read
04 March, 2020
Salwa's father taught her to laugh at sounds of shelling to prevent wartime trauma [Twitter]
A young Syrian girl who went viral for laughing at bombings in the northwest province of Idlib has found safety in Turkey, according to an Anadolu Agency report.

In a video that captured hearts around the internet last month, three-year-old Salwa laughed hysterically at sounds of shelling with her father Abdullah Mohammed, 32.

Mohammed told media outlets he taught his daughter to laugh at air strikes so as to avoid wartime trauma.

At the time the video was recorded, the family was living in a friend's house in Sarmada, Idlib after fleeing their hometown of Saraqib.

According to AFP, Salwa and her family crossed the border at Turkey's invitation, her father said. He expressed joy at his daughter living away from the "disturbing sounds".

"Her future here - after she starts kindergarten and then school - will definitely be better than if she had stayed somewhere at war," Mohammed said.

Turkey, which supports armed rebel groups in Syria, hosts some four million refugees, most of them Syrian.

In a controversial move last month, Turkey gave the green light to refugees and migrants to leave for the European Union. Thousands have since massed at the Greek border, with violent pushback by local police.

A report released this month revealed fighting in northwest Syria has rendered large parts of the region uninhabitable for civilians now crammed into an ever-shrinking area where conditions are dire.

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