Help Ali get medical help for his mum outside Gaza

We seek your support for the appeal of the brother of our dear Palestinian friend and former student in Durham University, Tarneem. This is her brother’s account of the financial help their mother and he need for the urgent medical treatment now unavailable to her in Gaza but accessible in Egypt. This is his appeal:

I am Ali Hassan, from Gaza, Palestine. I’m 27 years old and I’m an accountant. My family and I are no strangers to war. We have lived through several military attacks (December 2008, November 2012, July 2014, May 2021, August 2022). Still, we are shocked and almost broken by this one. It's louder, more violent, and more meaningless; and the level of horror we are experiencing in our neighbourhood and witnessing is so much greater. My struggle in this war is about keeping my humanity, even my sanity, and this campaign is part of that effort.

Due to this war, I lost my job. I won’t give details to the unimaginable horror we have been facing as a family. Our home, once a sanctuary, has been partially damaged, and we have evacuated from one place to another.

As a family, we are emotionally and physically devastated, starved, and dehydrated. But that’s not the reason I’m seeking your help.

My beloved mother, 66 years old, needs urgent medical treatment. She requires two CT scans yearly for her upper thigh to monitor her condition, but she hasn't been able to receive any since October. Unfortunately, even if the war in Gaza were to end, the necessary medical facilities and procedures would still be lacking. To make matters worse, there is no PET scan available in Gaza either. Her condition has been worsening, and she has been experiencing excruciating pain in her leg. We have managed to obtain some painkillers and vitamins, but the lack of nutritious food and essential medicines in Gaza is putting her health at serious risk.

After much discussion and consideration, we've made the difficult decision to evacuate my mother from Gaza in search of the medical care she urgently needs. I will be her primary caregiver during this challenging journey, leaving behind the rest of my siblings and their families. As one of seven siblings, three of whom are married with young children, the responsibility falls on me as the single sibling to care for our mother. This decision weighs heavily on our family, but we are determined to do whatever it takes to ensure my mother's health and well-being. We were hoping this war wouldn't tear us apart, but our only option now is to hope and try.

I, at this point, aim to raise at least £20K.

Costs Breakdown:

• Funds will be used to facilitate our exit to Egypt. To secure an exit through the Rafah border, each person must pay $5k for the Hala Company to facilitate their exit to Egypt (and $2.5k for children under the age of 16). This makes it a total of $10,000K (roughly £8000K).

• Another £5K will go towards medical treatment and diagnostic procedures that are not available in Gaza and any hospital expenses to ensure that my mother receives the proper care and nourishment she needs to improve her health and well-being.

• Another extra £5K for securing accommodation upon arrival, travel documents,

• The GoFundMe page’s transaction fee is 2.9% + £0.25 deducted automatically from each donation. This adds around £1K.

• Any extra funds raised will be used to evacuate my other single brother to help care for our mother alongside me.

How You Can Help:

• Donate: Your generous contributions will go directly towards assisting us as we navigate through this challenging period.

• Spread the Word: Share our campaign with your friends, family, and colleagues. Together, we can amplify our efforts and reach more people who are willing to lend a helping hand.

Every donation, no matter how small, will bring us one step closer to ensuring my mother's health and safety. Your support and kindness during this difficult time mean more to us than words can express.

With all my deepest gratitude,

Ali