Help the Ahel Family in North Gaza Survive

UPDATE JULY 2024: Sama and Tasneem, the two oldest girls, were able to cross from Rafah into Egypt; however, their family remains in north Gaza. The girls are unable to work to support their family due to regulations regarding Palestinian refugees in Egypt, and their parents and siblings are in more danger than ever before. The cost of food, water tanks, and basic necessities has skyrocketed, and the people of Gaza are facing the threat of disease and long-term illness if they are do not have access to safe food and water.

In the span of 36 hours, the Ahel family was displaced by airstrikes three separate times. They have lost most of their personal possessions, which they keep in containers that are easily portable at a moments notice. Following their third displacement, they returned to find that the money they had saved for food and necessities was stolen and replaced with fake bills. What was left of the home was also defaced.

Sama and Tasneem's father shows them the fake money that was placed among their things

The Ahels returned to find the walls defaced and their things stolen.

Sama and Tasneem's father and youngest sister try to sleep on the ground after fleeing their previous shelter.

Dr. Ahel, the father, stands amongst the rubble of the place his family has been living in north Gaza.

An update from Tasneem following the third displacement:

The tanks have reached the area. My family went out into the streets with nothing. My father, who recently had surgery, was forced to walk a long distance. Everyone got separated in the middle of the night. My mother says she was screaming my siblings' names so they would know to gather together. My little sister saw the tanks and she is scared. I don't know what to do, but I wished I would die rather than hear that.

At midnight, they were running. The tanks were approaching. There was a sniper above the building. Tasneem said, "my dad went back to get the bags- he survived by a miracle, and he didn't get any of their things".

Now more than ever, the Ahels need your help! We are no longer fundraising to help them rebuild their home in Gaza- as the siege continues, we are fundraising for their survival. Every donation will be used to buy food, water, and basic necessities. Please, contribute if you can to help them survive this siege. Every dollar helps.

Original fundraiser message below:

________________________________________

Hi, my name is Rania, and I'm a college student residing in Massachusetts. I'm fundraising for the Ahel family, close friends who live in northern Gaza and are in dire need of support as the siege of Gaza continue.

The Ahels, a family of 8, were unable to evacuate North Gaza in the initial weeks of the war. Since then, airstrikes have hit each part of the Gaza Strip, including Rafah, where nearly 2 million displaced Gazans are trapped. The Ahel family remain in the north of Gaza, where food and water is scarce, there is little electricity, and no movement is safe. Dr. Ahel, a psychologist, volunteers with the Red Crescent. He refuses to move his family, knowing that the journey to Rafah just as dangerous as remaining at home.

Yomna (13 years old) & Mesk (10 years old) Ahel at home

On October 29th, on the 22nd day of the war, Sama and Tasneem's home was destroyed. They moved into a second home, but had to evacuate when the building was targeted. In late January, the Ahel family was staying in a family friend's home in the Al Zaytoon neighborhood. Only a little while after, Sama texted me that the house was bombed. "There's nothing left", she said.

Tasneem and Sama, 17 and 16 years old, in the New York Times documentary "So They Know We Existed", released following Israel's attack on Gaza in May 2021. They are now 19 and 18, and have fled bombings countless times since then.

After relocating over and over, struggling to stay safe and together, Sama texted me again- pictures of their most recent residence, absolutely demolished. Sama said it used to be 5 floors. Now, it was just rubble.

The Ahels and their home before the bombing

Their home meant the world to them- it was the only safe place they had to live normal lives and pursue their dreams the way they would have been able to before the war. Mesk had celebrated her 10th birthday there. Sama and Tasneem had worked hard on their studies there, pushing themselves so they could one day study outside of Gaza. Sama wanted to be an engineer, and has participated in courses and competitions in the field since the age of 7. Tasneem had hoped to work in medicine, and was studying dentistry before the war began. Without their home, they can't even think about those dreams.

"It's our lovely beautiful warm area in this dark world," Tasneem told me over the phone. "Our only comfort zone. And we lost it."

Sama and Tasneem's last home after a recent bombing

For as long as I've known them, these girls have been the bravest, most steady-hearted people I've ever met, each with beautiful dreams to return to Gaza and serve their people. Since October, Sama and Tasneem have lost their home, their belongings, and any hope of achieving the future toward which they had been striving. When the war finally ends, their family will need more than anything a place to start rebuilding their lives.

If you are in a position to help, please donate. The Ahels cannot rebuild their home on their own. Your donations will go directly to helping them start their lives again in a new home, and support Sama and Tasneem's dreams of continuing their education abroad.

Thank you so much. Your support means the world, and every little bit that you can contribute is a gift.