Raqqa Family Recall Life Under Islamic State Rule in UN Video

In this video by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a family from Raqqa, Syria – one of the strongholds of the Islamic State (IS) – recall their experiences living under IS rule. Wazzam and Ayesha, along with their six children, had fled Raqqa six times. In this video, they cite poverty, along with fear of bombings, killings, and beatings, as reasons they sought refuge with the UNHCR.

Wazzam said IS forces shutdown all stores selling items deemed inappropriate, including coffee shops, while women are forced to cover up. Ayesha says she asked God “why have we been so humiliated?” and prayed that her family would be killed by a bomb, to escape the hardship. Credit: YouTube/United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)