Syrians are celebrating the capture

of the last square inch of ISIS territory.

We’re in Raqqa.

This used to be the capital of the Islamic State.

Under ISIS rule,

these women would have likely been executed

just for dancing with men.

Today they’re making a point by doing it in public.

But when the party ends, they go home to this.

Raqqa was liberated almost a year and a half ago.

Still, 80 percent of the city lies in ruin.

Tens of thousands have returned.

But rebuilding is slow.

With the Islamic State wiped off the map,

we came back here to see how people are getting by,

and to ask: Can they recover from such a violent past?

Remember, this was Raqqa under ISIS.

Crucifixions, torture and, by the end, heavy airstrikes.

And fierce fighting that killed

at least hundreds of civilians.

American-backed forces finally pushed ISIS out in October 2017.

But 17 months later,

people here are still counting the dead.

Dr. Mahmoud Hassan is part of the cleanup effort.

His job: Sorting through corpses.

Thousands of them.

To try and identify who they might belong to.

We watch his team examine bodies.

They’re not taking samples or running DNA tests.

They’re looking for basic clues: clothes, hair, gender.

“So how has the city been repairing and rebuilding?

You keep finding new bodies, new graves.”

That’s the real fear: that a lack of progress

will continue to make this war-torn city

a breeding ground for radicalization.

We visit Najwa and Mohammed, who lived here under ISIS

and still bear the scars.

They told us that their nephew came

barging through their door one day

to hide after stealing a bracelet.

Islamic State police found him anyway.

“Has there been any support offered to you

to help with jobs or help with rebuilding

or help with anything to restart your life?”

Najwa and Mohammed are some of the worst afflicted here,

and there are thousands like them,

with few opportunities and no support.

But it’s not like people are sitting back

and waiting for help to arrive.

For example, the city’s bridges are destroyed.

So residents made these homemade

rickety ferries to get by.

It’s clear that rebuilding Raqqa will take time.

And the determination of everyday Syrians

is moving the city in that direction, slowly.

In the city center, where ISIS held public beheadings,

gardeners are planting trees.

A small sign of hope for the future.

But is the world paying attention, and will people

here get the help they need?