Vilhelm Stokstad

Photographer

The Gravediggers of Raqqa

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The first responders team in Ra... through the gravel and debris.

1 of 16 © 2024 Vilhelm Stokstad

The first responders team in Raqqa are searching for bodies and human remains in Hay al-Beddo, "the beduin quarter" in Raqqa. They have found around 30-40 bodies in this spot. Digging with tractors and heavy machinery and then manually going through the gravel and debris.

The first responders team in Ra... through the gravel and debris.

2 of 16 © 2024 Vilhelm Stokstad

The first responders team in Raqqa are searching for bodies and human remains in Hay al-Beddo, "the beduin quarter" in Raqqa. They have found around 30-40 bodies in this spot. Digging with tractors and heavy machinery and then manually going through the gravel and debris.

A member of the the first respo... through the gravel and debris.

3 of 16 © 2024 Vilhelm Stokstad

A member of the the first responders team in Raqqa shows a piece of a bone to his supervisor. They are searching for bodies and human remains in Hay al-Beddo, "the beduin quarter" in Raqqa. They have found around 30-40 bodies in this spot. Digging with tractors and heavy machinery and then manually going through the gravel and debris.

The view from one of the still ...e heavy fighting against Daesh.

4 of 16 © 2024 Vilhelm Stokstad

The view from one of the still standing buildings in Raqqa. About 80% of the city is estimated to have been destroyed due to the heavy fighting against Daesh.

The first responders team in Ra...t a hundred bodies buried here.

5 of 16 © 2024 Vilhelm Stokstad

The first responders team in Raqqa are searching for bodies and human remains in Hediqat Al-beida, "the white park" in Raqqa. They say that this particular spot seems to be a mass grave and that they expect to find at least a hundred bodies buried here.

The first responders team in Ra...white park", in Raqqa.

6 of 16 © 2024 Vilhelm Stokstad

The first responders team in Raqqa uncovers the remains of a woman after searching for bodies and human remains in Hediqat Al-beida, "the white park", in Raqqa.

The first responders team in Ra...e smell in a resident building.

7 of 16 © 2024 Vilhelm Stokstad

The first responders team in Raqqa are getting ready in an ambulance. Someone has called and complained about the smell in a resident building.

The first responders team have ...mains of suicide vests on them.

8 of 16 © 2024 Vilhelm Stokstad

The first responders team have found two bodies on the second floor of a residential building. They are trying to check for improvised explosive devices and state that the bodies have remains of suicide vests on them.

The first responders team have ...ins and put them in a body bag.

9 of 16 © 2024 Vilhelm Stokstad

The first responders team have found two bodies on the second floor of a residential building. They are trying to check for improvised explosive devices and state that the bodies have remains of suicide vests on them. After seeing that nothing exploded they start scraping up the human remains and put them in a body bag.

The first responders team are d...loor of a residential building.

10 of 16 © 2024 Vilhelm Stokstad

The first responders team are disinfecting and washing as curios bystanders are watching from across the street. They just cleared two bodies on the second floor of a residential building.

Since October they have been di...een 10 and 25 bodies every day.

11 of 16 © 2024 Vilhelm Stokstad

Since October they have been digging out between 10 and 25 bodies every day.

The first responders team in Ra...odies they have found this day.

12 of 16 © 2024 Vilhelm Stokstad

The first responders team in Raqqa are collecting and counting the twelve bodies they have found this day.

At the end of the day the team ... graveyard outside of the city.

13 of 16 © 2024 Vilhelm Stokstad

At the end of the day the team brings all the body bags to a graveyard outside of the city.

The supervisor opens up one of ...emains of a small child inside.

14 of 16 © 2024 Vilhelm Stokstad

The supervisor opens up one of the body bags and shows the remains of a small child inside.

They say a short prayer before ...bodies into another mass grave.

15 of 16 © 2024 Vilhelm Stokstad

They say a short prayer before putting the bodies into another mass grave.

All the bodies are put in the s...identify the remains they find.

16 of 16 © 2024 Vilhelm Stokstad

All the bodies are put in the same grave, Daesh fighters next to their victims. There are simply no resources to try to identify the remains they find.

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Thumbnail of The first responders team in Raq_g through the gravel and debris.

Thumbnail of The first responders team in Raq_g through the gravel and debris.

Thumbnail of A member of the the first respon_g through the gravel and debris.

Thumbnail of The view from one of the still s_he heavy fighting against Daesh.

Thumbnail of The first responders team in Raq_st a hundred bodies buried here.

Thumbnail of The first responders team in Raq_ white park", in Raqqa.

Thumbnail of The first responders team in Raq_he smell in a resident building.

Thumbnail of The first responders team have f_emains of suicide vests on them.

Thumbnail of The first responders team have f_ains and put them in a body bag.

Thumbnail of The first responders team are di_floor of a residential building.

Thumbnail of Since October they have been dig_ween 10 and 25 bodies every day.

Thumbnail of The first responders team in Raq_bodies they have found this day.

Thumbnail of At the end of the day the team b_a graveyard outside of the city.

Thumbnail of The supervisor opens up one of t_remains of a small child inside.

Thumbnail of They say a short prayer before p_ bodies into another mass grave.

Thumbnail of All the bodies are put in the sa_ identify the remains they find.

Public Project

The Gravediggers of Raqqa

Copyright Vilhelm Stokstad 2024

Date of Work May 2018 - May 2018

Updated Dec 2021

Location Raqqa, Syria

Topics Documentary, Dying/Death, Human Rights, Military, Militias, Peacekeeping, Photography, Photojournalism, Violence, War

Death is everywhere in Raqqa. Sometimes it lurks beneath the mountains of bomb-blasted rubble and pancaked buildings. Other times it peeks out from beneath the earth in the form of bones, hair and decomposing flesh the colour and texture of ancient dried parchment. Often it moves around the city, its stench drifting on the humid breeze, creeping into the nostrils and psyche when you least expect it.

More than anyone else here, the men of Raqqa’s Civil Defence Unit know where death can be found. For going on six long months now they have sought out its many locations and collected its gruesome detritus along the way.

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