A Rare Distraction for Youngsters at a Syrian Camp Spotlights a Precarious Existence

The clowns and their antics served as a temporary distraction in the otherwise strange and bleak corner of northeastern Syria where al-Hawl camp sits. Most of the 31,000 children who call this scorched patch of earth home have — or had — parents who fought with the Islamic State group.

Twelve-year-old Homam laughed and clapped as the clowns danced, sang and chased each other around with hula hoops. A tall, thin, quietly watchful kid with red-blond hair and soft brown eyes the size of chestnuts, he cheered as one tackled the other to the muddy ground in a technicolor pileup between his and the neighbor’s tent. The children watching with him erupted into squeals and cheers.