‘We have no choice’: illness in Gaza as clean water becomes a luxury

Safe drinking water is becoming ever harder to come by, with disastrous consequences for those who can't afford it

In a house in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, some of the women in a building housing 60 people decided to cut their hair short to save on water when washing.

Others in southern Gaza say they're stretching out the time between showers, or flushes of the toilet. Everyone knows exactly how much water they have, and how much they can store. Above all they know that water, especially water that is both safe to drink and doesn't taste bad, has become precious.