Residents of Raqqa, a former stronghold of the so-called Islamic State (IS) in northern Syria, spoke about how the conflict had impacted their city, footage filmed on Thursday, July 19 shows, according to Al-Masdar News.

Many residents recalled times before the conflict where services such as water and electricity weren’t so scarce.

One woman said, “There is no electricity in the town, there is no water. We are working and we can’t decide whether to eat or to buy electricity and water.”

Another Raqqa resident expressed her wish for the government to re-establish itself in the region, and to provide civil services again.

“I wish that reconciliation would take place, and the country would be better than before; the water and electricity [would return]. When the government is back, reconciliation will happen and this country would be back as it was,” she stated.