Poverty, fear drive exodus from Syria's one-time IS capital
ABC News
Raqqa, the former de facto capital of the Islamic State group, is now free but many of its residents are fighting to leave
RAQQA, Syria -- In a square that a few years ago was a grim stage for the Islamic State group’s brutal rule in the Syrian city of Raqqa, Mahmoud Dander sat deep in thought.
He wants to leave Syria, but has a problem: The 75-year-old has no money. He recalled the old days before protests and wars led to his country’s collapse and national currency crash: Syria wasn't thriving back then, but he had work, his children had university degrees and decent futures, and food was always on the table.
That’s all gone now. “We have fallen, just like our currency,” he said.
Raqqa, the former de facto capital of the self-proclaimed IS caliphate and home to about 300,000 people, is now free, but many of its residents try to leave. Those with property are trying to sell it to save up for the journey to Turkey. Those without money struggle to get by.
