Help Walaa's Family and Injured Husband Survive in Gaza

Hello, I’m Julianne Adams and I am fortunate enough to be living in a safe and stable situation in New York. My life–and yours–may be far away from Palestine, but I believe that violence begets more violence and that whenever we have the capacity to make a small action towards harm, we should act. The scenes of horror that have trickled through our media have led me to connect with the Afana family, and offer them this small action of fundraising for their safety.

Momen Afana has been providing dental care in Gaza despite serious injuries from an airstrike that killed 13 family members and destroyed his home. Momen's wife, Walaa, and their three young children were fortunately away at the time. Daily life continues to be a minefield of danger and basic resources like food are hard to come by.

Our Goals You Can Help Us Achieve

1. Evacuate the Afanas to Egypt.

$30,000 (4 adults, 4 children)

2. Support the Afanas with immediate housing and basic necessities like food and clothing.

$10,000

3. Secure the funds for the Afanas to start a new life.

$30,000

The Family's Story

In November, the Afana family suffered an unimaginable loss. Three generations of the Afanas lived together in a building with four apartments in Gaza City. The patriarch was a university professor, and many of the Afanas were dentists and teachers.

Momen was at his home, as were his parents, five siblings, their spouses, and five sons when an airstrike decimated their lives. The seven-story building that housed four apartments was reduced to nothing. Of the 16 present family members, only three survived: Momen, his young brother Mamdouh, and Mamdouh's wife Dina, who was six months pregnant at the time. Momdouh and Dina are urgently fundraising here.

On top of killing 13 family members, the explosion seriously injured Momen. His spine was fractured and dislocated in two places: his thoracic (middle back) and cervical (neck). He also sustained injuries to his knee joint and finger ligament. While Momen underwent surgery for his thoracic spine, local doctors are unable to treat Momen’s neck injury. The Ministry of Health recommended he leave the country for cervical spine fixation surgery. Because he is 35, he was not considered a priority for medical evacuation. Fortunately, Momen was recently able to receive a cervical surgery thanks to the intervention of foreign doctors.

With only the promise of death left at home, Momen fled to Rafah along with Walaa, their three daughters: Youmna (5), Roua (8), and Tala (10). The family has been displaced numerous times, alternately residing in a tent or bombed-out buildings. Basic necessities like fruit have become an unattainable luxury. Despite his surgeries, Momen remains in continual pain.

And yet, even while injured, Momen has been offering dental care to displaced children and adult

The cost of securing the family safe passage is roughly $30,000–a ridiculous fee but the entire family deserves a future, especially given how they have been selflessly caring for others under horrible circumstances.

Our fundraiser goal is $80,000 but so much more is needed.

Momen’s young family before the devastation

Walaa shared these photos and told me that Momen is always taking photos and is rarely in front of the camera.

A cake Walaa made for her husband's birthday

The apartment building before and after the explosion that only three Afanas survived

I was introduced to the Afanas through Anwar, who is Walaa’s younger brother. Anwar had been an English teacher until he was displaced, along with his one-year-old son and wife. Anwar has been helping his sisters, one of whom is pregnant. Anwar is also advocating for Momen’s brother and his family, who have no resources. Anwar is raising funds for his family here and sharing day-to-day life on his Instagram.

Walaa is also on Instagram, as are Mamdooh and Dina.