Help Asma evacuate her family from Gaza

Hello, I'm Qasem. I am reaching out to you on behalf of my cousin Asma, who, along with her family, is currently trapped in Gaza. I am initiating this emergent fundraiser to support Asma and her family in escaping from the devastating crisis there before the impending invasion of Rafah.

This fundraiser aims to assist Asma’s family in evacuating to Egypt and enabling Asma, along with her two siblings, Mohammad (18) and Fathi (16), to continue their education.

Here is Asma’s message:

Hello everyone, I'm Asma, a 21-year-old English literature and translation student from Gaza. I’m writing this with a heavy heart as I’m trying to save my family from Gaza.

We are currently in Rafah, where news of an imminent military operation is spreading. So, every day counts in saving our lives.

I wish I could show you the pain we are enduring in Rafah amidst the barbaric bombardment and famine.

The life we are living now is beyond what any human should take.

Life in Gaza has been unbearably tough. Since the first war in 2008, we've been living with constant fear and uncertainty, but the current war is the worst of all.

I have always been a strong and hardworking woman in Gaza City, striving in every possible way to support my family for a decent future.

My university life extended beyond studying; I engaged in various fields such as writing, social media management, and translation. I volunteered in numerous capacities like Amideast as an Access Micro scholarship program Alumna in 2018, it opened me doors for many opportunities.

Before the conflict, I studied the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) with the aim of advocating for Palestinian rights as a human rights activist. However, it appeared to be just a joke as we are being killed in public.

No matter how much I worked to make my life better, things don't always go the way we want, right?

At the beginning of October, life turned into literal hell. Everything worsened by the day.

everything I worked for has been demolished – my university, my achievements, and many loved ones.

War hasn’t only affected me, but also my two siblings, Mohammed and Fathi, who are now in depression despite their young age.

here is a glimpse about my family

Mohammed:

Mohammed, my middle brother, is 18, smart, resilient, and hardworking. He was about to finish Tawjihi ( high school) and was thrilled to start college, travel, and aspire to study business administration. However, October was too dark for him.

He did not finish his last year of school and His school turned into a refugee camp, and most of his friends died.

Mohammed's arm got broken during a bombardment of a house while walking in the street, nevertheless, he continues to go outside to charge our phones and help my father.

His face is pale, disappointed, lost hope of having his dreams back.

Fathi:

My younger brother, Fathi, 16, is in 11th grade and the most intelligent and inquisitive in the family.

Just before the war, he excitedly bought new yellow football sneakers he always wished for and joined a club. As all of us, war brought his enthusiasm down. He kept wearing his shoes at home every day, hoping to wear them and play football with his best friend at the club. Sadly, Fathi lost his best friend when their house was bombed, leaving him shocked for weeks, not understanding what had happened.

The war has killed him inside; he is just a 16-year-old teenager.

My Parents (Raed and Nrmeen):

My father works as an accountant, and my mother is a housewife. They have dedicated their lives to raising us and providing the best life possible. During the war, they opened our home to displaced relatives, accommodating dozens without complaint, always ensuring the best food and environment even in the toughest times.

My mother, Nrmeen, suffers from severe back pain, barely able to stand or cook without relying on painkillers. She lost her brother's family and six nephews during the early days of the war, plunging her into depression. Recently, she lost her uncle's family. she cannot process the amount of loss till now.

My father, Raed, was injured twice during the war. He was at the pharmacy buying medicine for my mother, the building opposite was bombed, giving him a head injury. The second time, he was praying when our neighbor's house got bombed, and a big window shattered over him, injuring his leg.

here is a picture of our neighborhood from our house:

As the war progressed, food became scarce, and those who had it sold it at exorbitant prices, making it nearly impossible for my father's salary to sustain us for a week.

Currently, we are all striving to survive because there's no life to live.

Our Family’s Message:

If you were living through this crisis, you wouldn't endure it for an hour. During these months, we've faced various forms of death, reaching a point where we can't feel anything but pain.

We wish for achance to breathe and live properly, to eat well, and for Mohammed, Fathi, and Asma to receive proper education.

We aspire to rebuild our lives elsewhere, having lost hope and everything – friends, relatives, income, and the means to live with dignity.

Life has become an unbearable struggle, and there is no safe place, not even our home.

The hope for a better future lies in starting anew elsewhere. There is always hope for a new beginning, free from wars, sieges, and a bleak future.

This is our last chance to survive. We desperately need to leave Gaza before the land invasion of Rafah, and the coordination fee required to exit Rafah crossing poses the most significant obstacle.

The Travel fee is 5K USD per person at least. The rest of the funds will be for renting a house outside Gaza and for Asma, Mohammed and Fathi to continue their education.

Despite enduring every war, our family has never sought assistance. However, faced with a life-or-death situation, we humbly request humanity's support now.

Your donation matters; every donation matters in savings our lives.

You have the ability to save our lives. to draw the smile back on our faces.

Thank you for your donations and your support.