Help the Nassar Family in Gaza to safety and reconstruction
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Gaza Reconstruction for Nassar Family
Hi, my name is Bruce Smith, and I am raising funds to relocate and rebuild in a safe location the Nassar family from Gaza. My friend Yassar Nassar and his wife Intisar and their children and baby granddaughter are displaced from their home in northern Gaza city and are living in Raffa in uncertainty and fear. Their home and life savings are gone.
Yassar's daughter Sara.
Yassar's baby granddaughter.
The Nassar family were bombed out of their home in northern Gaza at the start of the war in November 2023 and have tried to find refuge ever since, moving from one place to the next. They are now trying to survive, without sufficient food, shelter, water, sanitation, or security.
Yassar's destroyed home.
The best way to tell the Nassar story is to read parts of the WhatsApp messages I have been receiving since 2021.
Pre-war:
14/5/2021
"From my ground floor where I take it as shelter to protect myself and my family i would thank you very much my dearest friend. Your warmest words and message will give me the strength... I'm hoping to live in peace and able to invite you to my home where we can chat and eat but this time with my lovely family. Please pray for us....at this moment i have to stop writing due to heavy shelling and bombardment...."
The current war:
8/10/23
"My friend Bruce. we are fine and living with a huge security risk. this escalation is a nightmare. your friendship and solidarity ❤ are, above all, support. I'm writing this message while I'm crying from a painful life....with your nice words, I'm feeling empowered....with my greatest and warmest thanks to you and your family. your friend forever, Yasser"
11/10/23
"My brother, greetings from my wife and entire family. we are all fine and still alive. I'm displaced during the night and trying to keep myself calm as much as I can. believe me, I can't imagine as such a living situation during my entire life.
15/10/23
"We are still alive. It's very painful and can't absorb. We evacuated from UNDP compound to UNRWA building in South Gaza. Can you believe it we don't have water, electricity, drinking water and mattress... lacking basic requirements of survival..."
9/12/23
"Good morning. What we have to say is that the world fails to stop this madness. We don't know where next place to go...might be crossing the border to Sini?
My family and I should go out of Gaza? The big Q is how? Once and forever, I wish to get out and feel I'm human and reconnect with peaceful friends like you."
6/2/24
"Hi, greatest friend. We still can have very expensive food and while living 9 family members in 4*4 room with 3 hours of electricity per day. What do we have to do? Despite war living conditions, I do all my best to serve people in need of water and sanitation. I love to speak with freedom with you, not in a place where there is no safe place to live. But we still e-connect and e-chat...with a big hug from my family to all of you."
New Year eve 2023
"Friend of mine still living in North Gaza shared pics from my home. I'm crying for all the losses. All my entire life saving is lost”.
(Yassar's family home from which they evacuated is completely destroyed by tanks and shelling)
28/2/24
"Bruce, my friend
Situations are getting worse, and no one knows what's happening in our lives.
You had started my fundraising campaign to get out to Egypt by putting 10k, please guide me on doing so asap. Noting that my oldest son and my daughter’s husband will stay with me in Gaza”.
6/3/2024
"G morning, dearest friend. Life is never easy. We are struggling to survive in the madness. I can understand your attempts, which all are highly valued and appreciated. You are trying to do what you can do, but at all means, you remain the best friend ever, and love you and your family."
10/4/2024
"My friend I stuck and got sick I can't think more. All doors were closed, and I hope not to lose my mind. It's above my capacity to cope with stress and anxiety”.
As you can read the situation for Yassar and his family has become untenable.
In January I transferred $10000 to a person who might have been able to help get some of the family members over the border into Egypt. It was a long shot but the only thing I felt I could do to help. This was unsuccessful.
Now we are raising money in a more secure way, so that Yassar himself can get his family to a safe place and hopefully start a new life in a safe location.
How will the funds be used?
The beneficiaries are the Nassar family. The family will decide the best use of funds depending on the situation at the time. Right now they are displaced in Raffa, but would like to return home to Gaza city and rebuild if possible. Given the war its impossible to say where is safe now or next month. If the war ends soon and hopefully it will, funds will be used to build a new life for the Nassar family. The family needs basics of food, shelter, and somewhere safe to live. Our funds will help them to rebuild their lives.
Yassar and I went to university together for water engineers in the Netherlands. I live in New Zealand, which is not a supported country to collect funds via GoFundMe. We will use the bank account of one of our classmates in Canada. We cannot say for certain how and when as it will take time to collect funds and the situation in Gaza is changing daily. War is uncertain.
Bruce Alexander Smith
Geologist and Firefighter
Thank you for reading this document and we thank you in advance for any donation you can spare. Let’s all pray for a quick end to this inhumane situation.
Organizer and beneficiary
bruce smith
Organizer
Toronto, ON
Jeff Peeters
Beneficiary