Donate to Help Iman's family survive the war in Gaza

Dear Kind-Hearted People,

Iman Atef is a mother of 2 boys, Majid, a 3 years old, and Zain, a 2 years old alongside her husband Tareq, his elderly parents, brother, and sister are all struggling to survive in Gaza amidst relentless bombardment and starvation.

Since the war started, they spent the first month in north Gaza, during which time they faced many threats of evacuation due to nearby bombings and eventually had to be internally displaced to a friend's place for eight months where they lived among some other 27 people in a space of 5 meters by 5 meters, sleeping on a mat on the ground without mattresses or pillows. They suffered with the lack of drinking water, pollution, overcrowding, and long waits to use the bathroom—sometimes waiting an hour.

With the ongoing bombing and the orders of evacuations, the family had to relocate once again, and are now displaced in the south of Gaza in Al-Zawaida area in a tent. As the bombing continues, they continue struggling with lack of water, lack of proper healthy living conditions, surge in prices, lack of essential supplies, and no source of income. The presence of insects in the tents, the hot weather, and reliance on canned food have led to various health issues.

Iman says “ As the bombing continues near us in Al-Zawaida, we are constantly hearing explosions and clashes day and night. When we fall sick, there is no medicine, no hospitals, and we suffer from skin allergies, toothaches, and sunburns”.

Transportation is a challenge due to high costs. We have started using animal pulled-carts. People are using vegetable oil in their cars instead of gasoline or diesel, which is causing air pollution causing Iman’s family to fall sick, adding to that having to cook with woodfire, due to the lack of gas, putting them under the risk of health problems like cancer, asthma, and breathing difficulties.

Iman says “My husband is suffering from severe arthritis in his right knee, which affects his movement. This condition is a result of walking long distances to meet our basic needs, as transportation is scarce due to the fuel shortage in Gaza. Additionally, he has been walking for long distances carrying water containers from a far way source back to the tent.

Tareq, an engineer in his early thirties. His family includes himself, his two siblings, his parents, his wife, and his children—a total of eight members. Prior to the war started, Tareq worked in the field of innovative technology for children and teenagers with INGOs. He began his master’s studies in Data Science at Al-Azhar University, but his dream was thwarted by the war. All university facilities, including his college, were destroyed.

Iman, a talented engineer in communications and computer science. Before the war, she was passionate about developing her technical skills while working as a technology and computer teacher. She also had high-level freelancing skills and a beautiful voice, which allowed her to work as a voice-over artist. However, the war has made it impossible for her to work due to displacement, frequent evacuations, and severe shortages, especially in electricity and internet access.

Their child, Majd, was supposed to start kindergarten and take his first steps toward learning and interacting with peers, but the war has halted that. Their child, Zain, began learning to walk during the war, and teaching him under these conditions has been extremely challenging.

Tareq's parents, Samira and Arif, suffer from chronic diseases (diabetes and cardiovascular diseases) and need a continuous supply of medicine. Samira is 60, and Arif is 62 both require special care and continuous medical follow-ups, which are unavailable due to the war and the complete shutdown of the health sector.

Tareq's brother, Abdullah, is a distinguished university student with high abilities. He began his studies in Computer Engineering, but the war interrupted his dream when the university was destroyed.

The family's life has dramatically changed from a happy existence to a challenging one, living in a small room with 27 people for over 8 months, followed by a displacement to a tent having to make difficult choices daily as the war continues to claim lives and causing them to live in famine. Iman and her family deserve the chance to rebuild their lives and have a safe, peaceful future. Every donation, no matter how small, brings them closer to their simple goal of escaping the crises inflicted by the war, each one in this family has dreams, a message, and a purpose in life.

Iman says “please donate to help my family survive the war and meet our basic needs. We hope for your support. Thank you for your kindness and unwavering compassion in our darkest times. We hope for peace after all this suffering.”