06:42Against a bleak backdrop of lingering destruction in the aftermath of the Syrian conflict, Raqqa has been witnessing locals extract metal from destroyed buildings, melting and repurposing them to use again in construction.
"Imported iron is highly expensive and most people cannot afford it, that's why they use processed iron to build slum houses," said Mahmud al-Nasser who added that to due the lower quality of the processed iron, it could not be used in taller structures.
On the flip side, processed iron is much cheaper than its imported counterpart. "The recycled iron is locally made and available in huge quantities because there are so many destroyed buildings in Raqqa," said a worker Hassan Abu Kinj who was seen handling and shaping molten iron in a workshop.
The scale of destruction across Syria and the high demand for repurposed iron has turned the profession into one popular among young and old who look to earn a living in aftermath of years of conflict.
"We are extracting iron from the buildings which were destroyed by airstrikes that targeted ISIS militants," said a local Turki al-Mahmud.
According to the United Nations special envoy for Syria, Geir Pederson, the Syrian conflict remains active despite a 'strategic stalemate'.
Syria: Locals turn iron extraction from war-torn buildings into profession in Raqqa
Against a bleak backdrop of lingering destruction in the aftermath of the Syrian conflict, Raqqa has been witnessing locals extract metal from destroyed buildings, melting and repurposing them to use again in construction.
"Imported iron is highly expensive and most people cannot afford it, that's why they use processed iron to build slum houses," said Mahmud al-Nasser who added that to due the lower quality of the processed iron, it could not be used in taller structures.
On the flip side, processed iron is much cheaper than its imported counterpart. "The recycled iron is locally made and available in huge quantities because there are so many destroyed buildings in Raqqa," said a worker Hassan Abu Kinj who was seen handling and shaping molten iron in a workshop.
The scale of destruction across Syria and the high demand for repurposed iron has turned the profession into one popular among young and old who look to earn a living in aftermath of years of conflict.
"We are extracting iron from the buildings which were destroyed by airstrikes that targeted ISIS militants," said a local Turki al-Mahmud.
According to the United Nations special envoy for Syria, Geir Pederson, the Syrian conflict remains active despite a 'strategic stalemate'.
Against a bleak backdrop of lingering destruction in the aftermath of the Syrian conflict, Raqqa has been witnessing locals extract metal from destroyed buildings, melting and repurposing them to use again in construction.
"Imported iron is highly expensive and most people cannot afford it, that's why they use processed iron to build slum houses," said Mahmud al-Nasser who added that to due the lower quality of the processed iron, it could not be used in taller structures.
On the flip side, processed iron is much cheaper than its imported counterpart. "The recycled iron is locally made and available in huge quantities because there are so many destroyed buildings in Raqqa," said a worker Hassan Abu Kinj who was seen handling and shaping molten iron in a workshop.
The scale of destruction across Syria and the high demand for repurposed iron has turned the profession into one popular among young and old who look to earn a living in aftermath of years of conflict.
"We are extracting iron from the buildings which were destroyed by airstrikes that targeted ISIS militants," said a local Turki al-Mahmud.
According to the United Nations special envoy for Syria, Geir Pederson, the Syrian conflict remains active despite a 'strategic stalemate'.