Syria quake rescue baby now with loving family

(6 Aug 2023)
FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4447847

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jinderis, Syria - 5 August 2023
1. Various of Al-Sawadi hugging and kissing Afraa
HEADLINE: Syria quake rescue baby now with loving family

ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Afrin, Syria - 9 February 2023
2. Afraa, then newly born baby, in glass incubator at hospital
3. Doctor and nurse checking babies
4. Doctor checking x-ray
5. Doctor examining baby
6. Close of baby’s face
ANNOTATION: Afraa was born under the rubble of her family home destroyed by the deadly earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria six months ago.
ANNOTATION: Her parents and four siblings were crushed to death, while she survived for 10 hours until found under the wreckage.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jinderis, Syria - 5 August 2023
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Khalil Al-Sawadi, adoptive father:
“After she was born under the rubble, we rescued her and took her to hospital then I spent a week with my cousin then I moved to a camp and later to another for about two or three months. It was very hot and life was difficult so now I rent an apartment and I stay here during the day but at night they are afraid, so we go back to the camp."
8. Afraa being pushed on a swing by her adoptive father Khalil Al-Sawadi
9. Various of Afraa, Al-Sawadi and his sons in living room
ANNOTATION: Afraa was handed over to her aunt’s family days after a DNA test was conducted to make sure the girl and her aunt are biologically related.
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Khalil Al-Sawadi, adoptive father:
“She is considered as one of my children and my kids like her a lot and thank God she smiles a lot at everyone she meets."
11. Close of Afraa holding Al-Sawadi's finger
STORYLINE:
A baby girl who was born under the rubble of her family home destroyed by the deadly earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria six months ago is in good health, loves her adopted family and smiles even to strangers she does not know.

The dark-haired baby Afraa survived 10 hours under the rubble after the February 6 earthquake crushed to death her parents and four siblings in the northern Syrian town of Jinderis.

When she was found, her umbilical cord was still connected to her mother.

Her story captivated the world at the time, and people from all over offered to adopt her.

After spending days at a hospital in north Syria, Afraa Afraa was released and handed over to her paternal aunt and her husband, who adopted her and are raising her along with their five daughters and two sons.

Afraa was handed over to her aunt’s family days after a DNA test was conducted to make sure the girl and her aunt are biologically related, her adopted father, Khalil al-Sawadi, said.

On Saturday, baby Afraa was enjoying herself, swinging on a red swing hanging from the ceiling while al-Sawadi pushed her back and forth.

“This girl is my daughter. She is exactly the same as my children,” said al-Sawadi sitting cross-legged with Afraa on his lap.

Al-Sawadi said he spends the day at an apartment he rented but at night the family goes to a tent settlement to spend the night, as his children are still traumatized by the earthquake which killed more than 50,000 people in southern Turkey and northern Syria.

According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than 4,500 deaths and 10,400 injuries were reported in northwest Syria due to the earthquakes.

It estimated that 43% of the injured are women and girls while 20% of the injured are children aged five to 14 years old.





He said that if he doesn’t tell her, his wife or children will.








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