Help Dima's Family Evacuate from Gaza

A message from Dima Al Jerjawi:

Dear friends and kind strangers,

This is a call to help our family escape Gaza amidst the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe. our family is struggling to survive in Gaza, so we are desperate to ensure our survival and are therefore asking for your kind donations.

The situation with our four family members

We only want to be able to save our family and contribute to a safe, hopeful future. As compassionate people who follow the events of the world, you know the horrible situation every Gazan has found themselves in for the past several months. Therefore, the following description may not be necessary, but I want to underline how urgently these funds are needed for the mere survival of our family. We want to convey the urgency and deep emotional distress we are currently experiencing. We are living with deep pain, generation after generation, and the recent events in Gaza have shattered our lives and left us in a state of profound despair.

Since October 7th, our family has experienced three evacuations. Our neighbourhood in Gaza, Abu Mazen Square in the Northern district, has been destroyed. We evacuated to various relatives' homes in both the North and South, but we we were forced to evacuate again from the Nuseirat refugee camp when the Israelis dropped leaflets telling us the area was going to become a combat area. We are terrified for our safety. We are currently separated between different relatives’ homes and are living in overcrowded houses hosting dozens of people who have found themselves in a similar situation; food and water are scarce, and we are afraid we may soon no longer be able to find enough for ourselves and our kids. Bombardments are still ongoing near us and several homes in our area have been targeted, killing or wounding everyone inside.

The recent horrifying events since 7th October have not only destroyed our homes but have also shattered our dreams and aspirations. Our home, which we have worked for years to obtain, was completely destroyed, along with most of our possessions.

Both of us worked hard to provide for our family before the genocide started, and did whatever we could to provide for our children’s needs in order to guarantee them a stable future. Our son Mohammed is 6 years old , he’s a talented kid who enjoys maths and coding, and is an avid swimmer and football player. Our beautiful daughter Mariam is 3 years old, and has the most beautiful and gentle smile that could melt your heart. All of their dreams, aspirations, and potential for a better life have been mercilessly crushed.

Both me and my husband also suffer from different pre-existing health conditions and the medications we need are no longer available. The longer we don’t have access to these medications, the more difficult our situation becomes and we fear for our children in the case that our medical conditions deteriorate.

Use of funds

We need to raise enough money to pay the fees being requested by the Egyptian administration of the Rafah border crossing in order for us to evacuate to safety. These fees are exorbitantly high, and considering the situation inside the Strip, we find them to be unjust. However, at the moment it is the strongest straw to grasp. We have no other option.

The goal is to raise enough money to evacuate my family’s two adults and two children. The current cost of one adult to enter Egypt from Gaza is around $7,000 per adult and $3,000 per child. This means that the funds needed for an evacuation to Egypt are around $20,000. To account for GoFundMe’s fees (2.9% plus $0.30 per donation), and to facilitate our onward travel from Rafah, we are therefore setting the funding goal at $22,000.

Thank you so much for considering this cause to donate to. Words cannot express how much international solidarity has meant us Palestinians.

I will keep you posted here on the site about our situation.

With deepest gratitude,

Dima, mother of Mody (Mohammed) and Mimi (Mariam) Al Jerjawi

Note for transparency: This fundraiser is being administered by Dima's cousin located outside of Gaza, since Palestinian bank accounts are not allowed on GoFundMe. The fundraiser is tied to a bank account that I no longer use, meaning it will be dedicated solely to this fundraiser. The contributions from this campaign will be either forwarded directly to Dima in order to be paid to Egyptian officials directly, or to family members in Egypt in order for them to handle the transaction from within Egypt, depending on the circumstances and which of these two options make the most sense at the time of the fundraiser's conclusion.

Thank you.

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UPDATE 1: Dima and her family were able to leave Gaza through the Rafah border crossing; they were able to secure credit from banks and private individuals to pay for their border crossing costs. The proceeds from this campaign will go towards paying back these loans and for short-term living expenses in Egypt. In addition, her husband, who spent the last 40 days living in a tent, is hoping to receive treatment for an existing knee injury in Egypt.

Thank you for your contributions and your support, it has been truly heartwarming to witness.

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UPDATE 2: We have increased the funding goal for this campaign, in order to help Dima's family cover emergency costs in Egypt. Dima's family left Gaza with very little and are not allowed to work in Egypt. The funds will be used to cover some or all of the following costs:

Everything Dima's family owns has been lost during this war, and so your generosity would go a long way in helping us secure shelter, medicine, and food for them during their temporary stay in Egypt.

Thank you all again for your contributions.