Urgent: Help 15 Members Of My Family Escape Gaza

Dear Humanity,

My name is Bahaa Alsawalhi, a Gazan and a current master's student in Medical Systems Engineering in Germany. Having exhausted every conceivable option, I found myself compelled to launch this fundraiser as my sole remaining hope to assist my family. So, with a heavy heart, urgency, and desperation, I am reaching out to you seeking your compassionate assistance for the emergency evacuation of my family from Gaza to Egypt and helping them rebuild their shattered lives.

Since 2015, I've been distanced from my family. And since then, we only briefly reunited once last July in Gaza, just before the onset of the ongoing war, which left me with an overwhelming fear that this has been our final goodbye. Living outside of Gaza, I find myself unable to bear the thought of something happening to my family without doing everything within my power to secure them. Despite having to submit my master's thesis by next month, I've had to pause it, as the daily struggle to function under the weight of fear and anxiety consumes me.

On Doaa's Graduation day.

Our Sweet Suzan before & during the war.

Nephews and Niece: Nabil, Taim and Suzan

My 15-Member Family, resided in our family house in a very peaceful area, Tel-Elhawa neighborhood in the Northern Gaza Strip. In mid-October, my family was forced to face the harsh reality of evacuations and displacements. The relentless cycle unfolded three times, compelling them to seek safer places in various areas. They were separated to a UNRWA school in Al-Nuseirat refugee camp and in someone's house in al-Maghazi refugee camp in the middle of the Gaza Strip, only to evacuate again, when the invasion of that area began and a tank missile struck the place, they sought refuge. This incident resulted in the loss of Ahmed, the brother of my brother's wife. This time they evacuated more tragically under the continuous indiscriminate bombing of the entire neighborhood and leaving Ahmed's body behind. On their way to Rafah seeking refuge there, they received the news that our beautiful and warm house, filled with love, which they had just built after 30 years of savings was bombed. With that, their dreams of a peaceful life were shattered, joining the fate of over 70% of homes in Gaza. The family's small business, which sustained them, met the same fate as the house. Currently residing in Rafah. My Family is facing unimaginable challenges and completely inhuman conditions – a lack of food, water, gas and electricity. Recently, Israel declared its intent to initiate an invasion of Rafah, which makes it literary impossible to escape elsewhere as there is simply no place left in Gaza. So, they have reached a point where there is no hope left for them in Gaza, where they are just waiting for their turn to die, with every passing second feeling like a ticking bomb.

Our House before & after

A Flat in our house before the War

Here is a direct quote from my sister "Nour" describing what they are going through:

“We were a family living in a very beautiful, warm home. Just before the war, my younger brother and the smartest engineer I know “Malek” got married, and our family welcomed a new member. The atmosphere was filled with joy and happiness. On Thursday, October 6, 2023, we were at my sister's house, "Eman's” celebrating her youngest son Youssef's birthday. The evening was brimming with happiness and laughter, looking forward to celebrating my older brother's wife's birthday “Heba” on October 7. However, this day, life took a tragic turn and our joy turned into a tragedy. We have witnessed five wars, but never something this brutal. We couldn't close our eyes for a whole week from Oct. 7 to Oct. 13. On that fateful day, we fled, fearing for our lives, leaving everything we owned, carrying only our lives. Malek had left his newly built and furnished house, having spent all his savings on it, not having lived in it for even a month.

My brothers Malek & Abood in Malek's Wedding

Amidst the continuous bombing and evacuation chaos, my seven beloved cats, my lifeline, scattered. I wasn't able to rescue them except two, while the fate of the others remained unknown.

We moved to the central Gaza Strip, as Israel said it was a safe area. After two weeks we had to escape to al-Maghazi for the second time. Death is chasing us all. We lived this nightmare again on a red night, after the house was bombed. It was the night before the military tanks entered the area. This time we evacuated to the southern Gaza Strip, to Rafah.

I am Noor Alsawalhi, and this is my family. We don't want to die and be buried in mass graves without anyone knowing where we are. Help me and my family to leave Gaza so that we can continue our lives as ordinary souls, not hunted by death every minute."

Our Humble Request for Your Generous Support:

We urgently seek your support to facilitate the safe evacuation of my family by accessing the Rafah border crossing from Gaza to Egypt. To secure a spot on the Crossing List, which requires a paid permit, we need the assistance of coordinators in Egypt. However, they currently request a substantial amount, ranging from $7,000 to $8,000 per adult and $2500 per kid. This should be paid for 10 adults and 5 children, just as fees for permits to cross Rafah. Importantly, they insist on proof of having the necessary funds before adding our family's names to the list at the border.

Their survival is nothing short of a miracle. I implore your assistance in extracting them from this living hell. Even if a donation is beyond your means, a simple share of this post could be a lifeline. I will continue to update you as the situation progresses. My deepest gratitude to you for reading and spreading the word! Any exceeded amount will go towards relatives facing the same fate.

You can find me on Instagram: Bahaa Sawalhi