Help my family escape death in Gaza (Updated Version)

Hello, my name is Tareq Ayyad, a Palestinian living in Gaza. My family and I need your help to find safety.

My mother and I. She's preparing Ramadan Iftar from the UNRWA shelter Center in Deir al-Balah.

We have been witnesses to the deaths of countless friends and neighbors. We have endured the hunger and devastation for as long as we can.

The following updated fundraiser is being facilitated by David Jones-Krause, in direct WhatsApp communication with Tareq.

He has created a dedicated bank account into which these funds will be deposited with the sole intent of sending them to Tareq or his father via Western Union or Moneygram.

David (who is writing this disclaimer) and Tareq became friends over social media. When Tareq reached out for help with his gofundme, David was happy to make the updated campaign and help bring Tareq's story to you all.

Our Story

My family has faced a painful series of challenges. In 2021, some lost their homes and moved to Tal al-Hawa, only to be bombed in October 2023. We took refuge in a rented house after October 7, hoping we would be safe. Unfortunately, the continuous attacks forced us to move to southern Gaza.

On Friday, October 13, 2023, we fled under fire, leaving everything behind. We were evacuated to one place after another: Nuseirat camp, Deir al-Balah, al-Zawaida and Hanyounis al-Mawasi, desperately searching for a safe haven. Our neighborhood in northeastern Gaza is in ruins, under constant bombardment. We cannot return.

The wreckage of our home amid the devastation

After months of fleeing from one place to the next, we find ourselves divided between Rafah and Deir al-Balah, and both areas remain under threat of constant bombardment. As our struggle deepens, we cannot return to our family painting and building maintenance business, which we were forced to leave, and which has suffered severe damage. While some of us were working online, the lack of a stable internet connection and safe working environment makes that impossible today.

Despite our own hardships, my son, Alaa insisted we feed these puppies who cannot find food to eat.

They were born in the back of the UNRWA refugee agency’s shelter center in Deir al-Balah.

We have no home, no reliable source of food or water, no medicine, and no work. We are under the constant threat of attack and bombing. We have nowhere safe to go. Each day, we struggle to find food and water, often resorting to consuming non-potable water. We know the risks, but we have no other option.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that my family spans a wide age range and includes children who are under the age of two, making them particularly vulnerable to the dangers of scarcity. We struggle to find even the basic necessities for children of that age. In addition, my father needs medication for his chronic illnesses, and my brother Sohail, who is short in stature cannot escape bombing quickly because of his condition. He is in urgent need of a small surgery. Unfortunately, the destruction of Gaza's healthcare system has left us without access to even the most basic medical care. Our schools and universities are nearly all gone. Children do not have schools to attend, and adults do not have universities to pursue higher education. We can't raise a family under these conditions. We need your help to escape this ever-present terror and relocate outside of Gaza.

Why we need your help

The path to security is fraught with financial challenges that would have been difficult before we lost our livelihoods. Travel and accommodation costs during the paperwork in Cairo, flight tickets for all 13 family members, and initial settlement expenses, such as rent, furniture and other living costs.

My brother Mohammed, holding my son Alaa and my nephew Zakaria.

Gazans must pay an average of $5,000 per adult and $2,500 per child to exit Gaza. Airline tickets are approximately $1,300 per person, though we have not decided which country to go to. We must escape to Egypt first. We can decide from there. We'll need to pay for lodging and food in Cairo, while we wait for the replacement documents necessary to apply for visas.

This will bring the cost to $7,150 roughly per person, totaling $92,900.

My Family

The members of my family seeking safety urgently are:

1. Myself, Tareq, born 1993

Me and my son, Alaa

2. My wife Aya (1995)

My children

Alaa and Rose

5. My mother, Abeer (1978)

6. My sister, Yasmeen (2007)

7. My brother, Yahya (2007)

8. My brother, Mohammed (2005)

9. My brother, Sadi (2002)

10. His wife, Sara (2002)

Their children

13. My brother, Sohail (1997)

I cannot overstate the urgency of our situation. Every moment that passes, we risk losing someone.

From left to right: Mohammed, Sadi, Sohail, me, and our father, Alaa

My father, along with my sister Yara wish to stay, but the rest of us must find safety.

Thank you in advance for reading our plight. This struggle is one that transcends words, which when they come from Palestinians, are so often overlooked anyways. This moment is critical. I am relying on the kindness of people like you to bring my family to safety. Your support is the only shred of hope we have at building a new life somewhere safe.

No amount of support is too small to earn my heartfelt thanks. Your contribution is a demonstration of your commitment to compassion, justice, and the preservation of our very lives.