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Why Gazan women are turning to cactus picking

Women in the Gaza Strip are harvesting cactus fruit as seasonal jobs to either save for college or help their families in light of the difficult economic conditions.
A Palestinian man harvests cactus fruit on a farm in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip July 20, 2011.  REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa (GAZA - Tags: FOOD AGRICULTURE) - RTR2P2LA
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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — With a long stick that has a curved metal tip, Sanaa Omar, 14, who lives in Johr al-Deek village in the central Gaza Strip, tries to pick cactuses to put them in a basket she holds in her other hand. Nearby, her sister Hind Omar, 13, competes with her to harvest the biggest number of fruits to sell them and make some money to support their families in their basic daily needs.

Cactus, aka Barbary fig, is common in the eastern parts of the Gaza Strip and does not need care and irrigation from farmers, because its deep roots extract underground water. Its stems retain water inside.

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