The key facts
- Gaza residents report rapid aging: Mustafa Musa, 28, lost weight from 90 kg to 73 kg and, by his own account, looks 40
- Afaf Hamada, 42, developed cracks on her hands, hair thinning and hypertension; Mohammed Abu Sufian, 31, noticed gray hair
- The changes are linked to stress, displacement, sun, smoke, salty water and lack of hygiene products; the ceasefire since October of last year has improved the situation only a little
A war that changed faces
After three years of war in Gaza, its residents say they can barely recognize themselves in the mirror. Mustafa Musa, 28, said that before the war he weighed 90 kg, and now weighs 73 kg. His family home was destroyed during the fighting between Israel and Hamas, the family moved into tents in Deir al-Balah, and providing food fell on his shoulders: searching for food and collecting water became part of every day. Constant exposure to the sun, he said, darkened the skin of his face and hands, and shaving went from weekly to once every three weeks or a month. 'Has something happened to me?' — that, he said, is what acquaintances now ask.
What doctors and residents themselves say
The described changes reflect a combination of prolonged psychological stress and physical hardship: repeated displacement, exposure to sun and smoke, lack of clean water, poor nutrition and the absence of basic hygiene products. The situation since the ceasefire came into force in October of last year has improved only slightly, while Israel, it is noted, continues near-daily attacks.
Stories of different people
Afaf Hamada, 42, a mother of five, recalls that before the war she was sometimes mistaken for a sister of her daughters aged 21 and 19. In displacement, washing machines and kitchen appliances gave way to manual labor: washing by hand, kneading dough, building fires. Her hands and feet became covered with painful cracks, her hair thinned — she links this to salty water and the lack of shampoo and other products. She now has hypertension and takes medication. Mohammed Abu Sufian, 31, noticed gray hair that he did not have before the war, and says residents 'look years older than their age.'
A particular burden for young women
Sirin Abu Kharbid, 24, displaced from Beit Hanoun and now living in Gaza City, notes that for young women changes in appearance carry a particular psychological burden. Before the war she went to the gym and had facial treatments; after years without reliable access to soap, shampoo, fresh water and care products, her hair and face, she said, changed beyond recognition. A few months ago, a former classmate who had studied with her for a whole year did not immediately recognize her. She herself emphasizes that taking care of one's appearance is not vanity, but a matter of identity and memory of a life that has disappeared.
