“Amal”[1] fled violence in the countryside outside of Damascus with her husband, father, and five children almost two years ago. The family moved to Salamieh, a Syrian town of approximately 100,000 people 33 kilometers southeast of Hama. Salamieh is still under the control of the government armed forces, and many displaced people, mainly Sunnis from Homs, Aleppo, and the Damascus area, have sought refuge there and in surrounding towns. Salamieh also has the reputation of being a diverse and tolerant community, where different political groups, sects, and ethnicities live in relative harmony, and Amal hoped it would be a safe haven. But the city, like all of Syria, has not escaped transformation due to the conflict. Last year, a car bomb ripped through Hama Street in the town’s major business district, killing 43 people, mostly civilians. Internet statements claimed that Jabhat al-Nusra, a terrorist organization with alleged links to al-Qa`ida, was responsible, but a clear perpetrator was never confirmed.
via Surviving Cold and Conflict in Syria | Middle East Institute.
Ismailimail 