this is "nightline." >> hell on earth. an horrific chemical attack in syria. one of the worst in the six-year civil war, killing children. world leaders blaming the assad regime. tonight a rare look inside this war-ravaged country. >> not only are they fleeing a war zone, they're doing it with young children. >> on the ground with families trapped in isis-controlled territory. living in fear. desperate to escape. plus speechless. the family of a boy with cerebral palsy fights for their slice of happiness in this ground-breaking comedy. >> that's the finger. >> people come up with tears in their eyes, so many special needs families saying, you are me. >> the talented cast and how the show stays both heartfelt and irreverent. >> my line was, having disability is really expensive,

it's almost not even worth it. >> what this breakout star wants you to know about people with special needs. and still crazy in love. candid footage of beyonce and jay-z on display in her new video "die with you." why this song could be her most personal yet. ♪ die with you >> but first the "nightline 5." hey, allergy muddlers, are you one sneeze away from being voted out of the carpool? try zyrtec. it starts working hard at hour one and works twice as hard when you take the next day. stick with zyrtec, muddle no more. at jc pen though we can't guarantee you'll find every egg but guarantee you'll find perfect easter dresses, floral tops, and wafflemakers. priced to buy, guaranteed to love. that's getting your penny's

good evening. thank you for joining us. we're about to show you some very graphic and disturbing images from the fallout of a suspected chemical weapons attack in syria. the country has been in the grip of civil war for six years now. tonight we'll take you inside isis-controlled territory to meet the innocent families caught in the middle of the chaos. here's my "nightline" coanchor dan harris. >> reporter: these are the frantic and horrifying scenes from a suspected sarin gas attack in northern syria today. in a conflict that is increasingly challenging for the reporters to cover, these graphic images posted online by activists and people who live in the area show victims, many of them children, struggling to breathe. desperate first responders rush in, ripping off clothes and

spraying survivors with water. as many as 58 people dead and some claim the toll could rise above 100. scattered in the mud, the bodies of sl of lifeless children suspected of being poisoned in a chemical attack allegedly organized by their own government. >> it's a situation that cannot be described by words. it's really sad. >> reporter: the doctor treated patients in a hospital 30 miles from the reported attack. >> these children, when we arrive, they have pinpoint pupils, drowsiness, agitated. >> reporter: this was not the end of the violence today. two hours after that first attack an alleged second regime air strike ripped through a medical clinic where activists were documenting the aftermath. syrian president bashar al assad's reported use of chemical weapons against his own people is being called a crime against

humanity and is drawing international condemnation. >> there's no excuse whatsoever for the deliberate attack on civilians and on children. >> there can be no future for assad in a stable syria which is representative of all the syrian people. >> reporter: president trump did not address the attack during a speech this afternoon. the white house did issue a statement condemning the attack, but also placing blame on president trump's predecessor, president obama, saying these heinous acts by the bashar al assad regime are a consequence of the past administration's weakness and irresolution. >> there are really no easy options here. and so rather than face a really complex and hard question, it's easier to just point the finger in another direction and maybe buy yourself some time to figure it out. >> we have all seen the reports of the terrible chemical weapons attack in syria. >> reporter: nikki haley, u.s. ambassador to the u.n., is calling for an emergency meeting to discuss the attack which is being described as among the worst if a civil war that has been raging in syria for more

than seven years. the syrian death count has now climbed to nearly 500,000 since the war began. and the conflict has fueled the largest wave of refugees since world war ii. >> everybody's very nervous. >> reporter: i was on the ground to witness the flood of humanity. >> this is the front lines of it. >> reporter: the chaos and carnage in syria compelling so many families to leave their lives behind. and also making perilous ocean crossings in overloaded boats. >> this is just incredible scene. these people, families, have just risked their lives to cross this narrow strait. >> reporter: all in the search for a better future. >> are you nervous about approaching the hungary border? >> of course we're nervous. because at this point we don't know how we're going to deal with it. >> reporter: for the syrians left behind, a life of constant danger and uncertainty. stuck between the forces of bashar al assad and isis.

it is for many nothing short of hell on earth. the title of a soon to be released documentary directed by sebastian younger, a sweeping picture of syria's descent into chaos. the film also tells the intimate story of one syrian family, brothers radwan and marwan, who documented their own daily experience living in syria. their days marked by constant reminders of how isis deals with dissent. their nights spent huddled inside, soothing their young children as bombs fall all around them.

>> reporter: younger, award-winning journalist, author, filmmaker, is no stranger to conflict. his documentary "res tchtrpeo," about afghanistan, was nominated for an oscar and won an emmy. why do you want to tell this story next? >> i and my colleague felt there was a real misunderstanding in america of why the war started, why isis came to be in the sort of chaos of this war. but primarily a real misunderstanding about refugees. the truth is they're real desperate people, acting in ways any one of us, any viewer, would act in those circumstances. >> reporter: in this new film we see marwan and his family living under the constant threat of being tortured or killed.

no longer able to endure the daily fear, we watch as the family decides that it's time to try to leave. eventually they start their harrowing journey, hiding in the back of a truck, making their way through isis territory. december lat checkpoints dotting the highway. we both have young children. can you imagine putting your entire family in the back of a metal truck, driving over a border where if you get caught, you're all going to get shot? >> i just became a parent. i've been in situations where i thought i was going to be killed and it affects you for years. i can't imagine being in a situation where you think that might happen to your child.

>> reporter: they're in turkey hoping for a new life. but they want to go even further, they want to try to reach european countries like germany. they secure passage on a boat headed for greece. but before they land, they're intercepted by authorities and returned to turkey. the goal of getting to a country like germany, long a holy grail, has now become increasingly tenuous. anti-refugee sentiment has grown across europe and even here in the u.s. president trump signing those controversial executive orders to put a hold on refugees from syria, citing concerns about terrorism. >> as an american, i can

absolutely say, we would be lucky to have those two people in our country. absolutely lucky to have them. they're brave, dignified, beautiful people. and i think the trump administration is trying to sort out who actually is a threat. and when they target refugees i think they're getting it wrong. if we live in a world where every western country is so worried about some potential threat from refugees that they don't help these people, we're alling about requesting to hell. >> what do you mean by that, going to hell? >> morally. that's a barbaric world i don't think anybody wants to live in. >> reporter: the world we live in now seems frankly paralyzed in the face of the hell in syria, leaving no good options for families like these who have to choose between the purgatory of turkey, the political tensions of the west, or the peril of syria where yet again today the government stands accused of gassing its own people. for "nightline," this is dan harris in new york. >> our thanks to dan.

hell on effort. the fall of syria and the rise of isis premiering at the tribeca film festival and air later this spring on national geographic. minnie driver and the cast of "speechless" on their perfect portrayal of an imperfect family. oto think about. what about the people i care about? ...including this little girl. and what if this happened again? i was given warfarin in the hospital, but wondered, was this the best treatment for me? so i asked my doctor. and he recommended eliquis. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. yes, eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots. eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. both made me turn around my thinking. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away

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the creator of the abc comedy "speechless" says it's a story he's wanted to tell for nearly 20 years. the sitcom is loosely based on his own life growing up with an older brother who had a disability. while it breaks new ground by putting a special needs

character front and center, it's the authenticity of the family surrounding him that gives the show its powerful relevance nan resonance. here's abc's nick watt. >> one thing i like about this show is you don't live in the "friends" apartment that's all lovely, you live in a terrible house. >> it's not as operational. >> and you're self-confessed idiots. >> yeah, yeah. >> he's never had an aid speak for him before. >> reporter: imagine the elevator pitch for "speechless." kid with cerebral palsy, terrible house, protective crazy british mom. >> life's too short. >> according to the district it's acceptable alternate access. >> oh, look, there's someone else on the acceptable alternate access now. >> reporter: bow does it work. >> i was scared it was going to be terrible. >> sappy, sentimental, overly dramatic. it is not that. >> reporter: the show is unique in today's tv landscape and very necessary. j.j. has cerebral palsy. he's the speechless of the title

played by micah fowler, who has cerebral palsy. >> that's the finger. >> you're making us laugh with little glances. is it tough to do that? >> it was tough at the first. this role made me a better actor. because i have to use facial expressions. >> and you've got to be funny. >> and that too, yes. >> why do you have to be british? >> i vehemently wanted to be american. and actually was shouted down in the end. >> i think you can get away with a little bit more? >> you can. you can be a lot ruder in a british accent, it turns out. >> you didn't know that? i take advantage of that every day of my life. you're a slightly unlikely couple in a way. >> you're saying she's too hot for me? you're flat-out saying that. listen, internet. >> i know i'm saying that. >> i do make minnie laugh in

real life. minnie has occasionally said i smell good. and relationships have been built on less. >> yes, they have. >> reporter: this is the scene i think defines the show. dad's just stolen what he thought was trash on the curb. >> mom, someone just stole everything i was going to take to college! >> reporter: actually someone's possessions. >> drive! drive! >> we got to take it back. what are we going to say? this is so humiliating. >> i'll do it. >> seriously? how are you okay with this? >> because all this "stuff," other people's opinions, it's nothing. it's not nothing, if a doctor tells you there's something wrong with your kid. all the things he's never going to do. it's a long list. >> that's a speech that scott silveri's dad gave to him. >> reporter: scott silveri, executive producer on "friends," created this show. his brother has cerebral palsy. >> my dad wrote that. he's not a boat or anything.

but he's a guy whose experience really crafted his world view. i wish he had more speeches like that, we've got 23 episodes to fill. >> i'm sorry it took so long to get in touch. >> reporter: here's a sneak peek of tomorrow night's episode, the theme, cheating in school. >> i have received some complaints about j.j. from the other students. >> they're jealous. >> they are. of his constant, unpunished, insanely obvious cheating. >> what? >> what? >> reporter: yes, there's a message. but clearly this still has to play by the normal rules of tv comedy. i've watched this with my 8-year-old boy. if he didn't find it funny, he'd walk out of the room. >> my 8-year-old finds it hilarious. our kids are growing up with this being normal. >> what have you learned hanging out with micah? >> i've learned that he's very, very funny. he's a great friend. he has worked very hard to get this part and is having a ton of fun doing it. >> when i found out i booked the role, i was so excited.

>> these look stupid. >> reporter: fun and fulfillment for all. >> my sister actually had a brain hemorrhage at birth. i've dealt with the bullying and the staring. i was like so passionate about this script when i read it. >> as long as i've been doing this for a living i've been wanting to depict a family like the one i grew up in, with somebody who is a little different. >> you really do look nice, what is it, your hair? >> what is this? how do you think i normally look? >> you know. >> reporter: cedric yarborough plays the school janitor turned j.j.'s aide. >> you are entirely untrained. >> sure. >> you have no idea what you're doing, no idea how to react. >> i'm the audience. in many ways. >> you can just come and talk to us and it will be okay. >> reporter: the show walks that fine line, doesn't want to be too mawkish or offensive. >> we had a joke a few weeks back. my line was, having disability is really expensive, it's almost

not even worth it. and that joke itself just pushing the boundary a little bit. and then scott came down and gave the note, micah should laugh at that joke. this will only work if he tells us it's okay. >> no more special ed? brilliant, right? >> it's difficult for us to be told to look at this differently, so you make people laugh and see them -- have them observe a family that lives like this. maybe then their interaction with someone who uses a wheelchair on the street is different. >> reporter: i'm nick watt for "nightline" in los angeles. >> you can catch "speeshless" wednesday at 8:30 here on abc. according to beyonce's new song, she and jay-z are still crazy in love. the new video celebrating their intimate and personal moments. ♪

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finally tonight, only beyonce can make an anniversary gift go viral. ♪ i don't have a reason to cry >> queen bey is back, dropping a new video for her song "die with you." ♪ i don't have a reason to lie >> the video, released on beyonce and jay-z's ninth wedding anniversary, already racking up over 6 million views on instagram. and fan love pouring in on social media. one twitter user writing, if you truly dislike beyonce you're only doing that to be fake different because beyonce is actual perfection. and another tweeting, beyonce's "die with you" is actually what you hear when you go to heaven. ♪ because darling i wake up >> the ballad captures the carter family's intimate moments.