Clown of Aleppo killed in airstrike

A Syrian, who dressed up as a clown to distract children in Aleppo, was killed by an airstrike yesterday.

Anas Al-Basha died after an alleged Russian or Syrian government missile struck the Mashhad area in eastern Aleppo.

Al-Basha, 24, was a centre director of charity Space for Hope which is one of many local initiatives operating in untold conditions to provide social services in Syria.

The charity’s ground-breaking work includes support for 12 schools and four psycho-social support centres in war-torn East Aleppo where counselling is provided as well as financial support for around 365 children orphaned in the fighting.

Al-Basha was the only one to remain in Aleppo after his parents left the city last summer before the Assad regime began its besiegement. He chose to stay in Aleppo and directed his earnings to their countryside residence.

Al-Basha only married two months ago and is now survived by his wife.

Samar Hijazi from Space for Hope, described him as “a friend who loved to work with children. He would act out skits for the children to break the walls between them.”

Those who now remain in Space for Hope have suspended their work after having been left “exhausted”.

“All of us in this field [of childcare] are exhausted, and we have to find strength to provide psychological support and continue with our work,” Hijazi explained.

Assad’s Armed Forces and his allies have seized control of around 40 per cent of Aleppo that was under opposition control since 2014, causing 5,000 citizens to flee their homes in the past week alone.