Islamic caliphate failing miserably at state-building efforts

The living conditions of people trapped in Islamic State controlled-territories are worsening, exposing the inefficiency on the part of the caliphate authorities.

According to The Washington Post, residents say that services are collapsing, prices are soaring, and medicines are scarce in towns and cities across the "caliphate" proclaimed in Iraq and Syria by the Islamic State.

Residents have revealed that the current scenario in the caliphate is contrary to the polished and tailored videos uploaded by the Islamic State group online showing functioning government offices and the distribution of aid.

A journalist living in the Iraqi city of Mosul said that the water there was undrinkable due to shortage of chlorine supplies.

He said that hepatitis was fast spreading in the region and flour was becoming scarce.

Residents in the IS-controlled Syrian city of Raqqa complained that water and electricity were available for only three to four hours a day and that garbage was piling up uncollected.

An unnamed US official reportedly said that people residing in the regions under the Islamic State were being helped by Western aid agencies that have been discreetly funding health-care clinics and providing blankets and necessary items to the needy.

He said that the IS did not have the engineers and staff to run the cities and things were breaking down there.