Help Gazan family of 11 adults and 12 children survive

Hello,

My name is Alexandra A., I live in Germany and I am helping my friend Ahmad A. in Egypt to get his family members out of Gaza and to support them once they are out. I work for an international emergency and development organization (CRS), have visited Gaza and have friends and colleagues there – including Ahmad’s sister Dalia – and am thus deeply familiar with the ongoing crisis where families like Ahmad's have lost their homes and loved-ones and struggle every day to maintain their safety and well-being.

Initially, this page was dedicated to Ahmad’s brother’s family, with additional fundraising happening separately. We have decided to concentrate our efforts on one campaign, and had therefore expanded this campaign to include the entire family: four of Ahmad’s siblings (Mohammed, Dalia, Ola, and Maysa), their spouses and their children (21 in total), all of whom we would like to evacuate as soon as possible.

We are updating the campaign again, due to several changes:

1) As we mentioned in a recent update, Dalia, her husband and their children have received donations via a separate campaign and now have the funds they need. As such, they are not included in this campaign anymore. Therefore, the amount needed to evacuate everyone else (10 children & 6 adults) is now USD 55,000.

2) The Rafah border has been closed since early May. Ahmad’s siblings and their families are still in Gaza, and we have allocated some funds to support them with food and daily needs – USD 10,000 (minus the 17% fee for transferring money to Gaza), which is enough for 3 families, for two months.

3) As we hope for the border to reopen soon and for the family to be able to evacuate, we have added the amount needed to support the family in Egypt. An amount of USD 31,000 can provide for the 3 families evacuating, as well as for Ahmad’s parents, sisters, brother-in-law and nephews, who are in Cairo already, for 6 months.

In the case that evacuation is not possible, or that a solution is reached and evacuation is no longer necessary, the evacuation funds will be divided between the families in Gaza and support them in the longer term until they are able to recover and rebuild their lives. Below, in the Q&A section, is a detailed breakdown of the costs.

Ahmad’s family story

Before the war, our entire family lived in the north of Gaza.

My brother Mohammad studied international relations and human rights. He lived with his family in Gaza City, but they have been living in a tent in Rafah for months now. He and his wife Bakeza are loving parents to their four daughters – Muna (12), who helps take care of her younger sisters, Tuleeb (11), Alma (10) and Lara (9). Mohammed is my only brother and has always made it clear how deeply he cares about me.

My sister Ola works for an organization, and almost lost her life when the organization's residencies were bombed. She is still in Khan Younis, doing the work she can to help her people. Her husband Mohammad is a doctor, and they are raising Nalan (8), a smart girl who loves to draw and make bracelets that she gives to her cousins, and joyful little Aser (6).

And finally, my sister Maysa, a talented visual artist and a hardworking, kind-hearted woman. She is married to Ahmad, who told his story to AlJazeera news network, and mother to four boys – Elias (12), Tameem (10), Tayem (8) and Ibrahim (4). Elias, like his parents, does all he can to help out, despite his young age.

As the ground invasion began, everyone had to evacuate south to Khan Younis, where they lived in a crammed shelter with many other families, without sanitation and with limited access to water and food. A lot of people in the same area were killed by tank shells. During this time, I would lose contact with my family for weeks, not even knowing what they were living through.

Later on, they were told to leave for Rafah within 24 hours, and had to walk on foot towards the unknown. In Rafah they have been witnessing and surviving many dangers, with cars and buildings nearby being targeted by airstrikes,and people around them injured and killed.

All of the children’s lives have been severely disrupted over the past months – they do not attend school, live under difficult conditions, and instead of enjoying their childhood just as any child should, they are listening to constant drone buzzing and bombings, or picking up bullet shells.

I have been away from Gaza for several years, missing out on the births of my younger nieces and nephews, and on seeing them all grow and become joyful, funny and creative children. I would want nothing more than seeing all of my siblings and their children here in Egypt, and knowing that they are all finally safe.

Q&A

Who are the funds for?

As mentioned above, the funds are meant to help 11 individuals, 4 families with 11 adults and 12 children, to reach safety from war and sustain a life in Egypt.

How will the funds be spent?

We are raising the money in Euro as Alex is based in Germany, though the calculations will be done in USD. The total is USD 103,500 (or EUR 95,000), to help the family reach safety as soon as possible and to have support in Egypt in their first few months. See breakdown below in USD:

Evacuation fees: USD 5000 per adult and 2500 per child, which for 6 adults (USD 30,000) and 10 children (USD 25,000) amounts to USD 55,000.

Expenses in Egypt: An amount of USD 31,000 will support Ahmad’s family in Egypt for 6 months, and includes his parents and his sister's family who have already been able to evacuate a few months ago. Further details below:

-> USD 3000: initial settling in Egypt for 3 families leaving Gaza (medical expenses, clothing and other necessities required after leaving a war zone).

-> A total of USD 27,000 will cover all the expenses for all of Ahmad’s family members in Egypt: 6 months x USD 900 per family, which includes rent, bills, food, transportation and daily needs. This amount is required for each of 5 families: the 3 families that are to be evacuated, as well as two more families – Ahmad’s sister Ghadi (with her husband and two children), and Ahmad’s parents and younger sister, who are all in Egypt already and still recovering from all they’ve lived through.

3) USD 1,000: a new laptop for Ahmad’s younger sister Noura, which would help her find work (as she used to work remotely in marketing before the war).

Needs in Gaza: Ahmad’s siblings and their families have been displaced several times, and the costs of food and daily necessities in Gaza are very high. We decided to allocate USD 10,000 (minus 17% fees for transferring into Gaza), to support 3 families for two months with food and daily needs. Out of this amount, Ahmad has already sent USD 5000 to his siblings.

This (evacuation + necessities in Gaza + expenses in Egypt) adds up to USD 96,000.

Additional fees include the following:

GoFundMe fees (~3%): USD 4000.

Transaction fees: USD 3500.

As such, the total amount to be raised will be: USD 103,500 = EUR 95,000.

How will Ahmad and his family receive the funds?

Alex will transfer the money to Ahmad and his siter Ghada (who live in Egypt) through a money transfer agency who will use the funds to support the family in Egypt and to register the 3 families in Gaza for evacuation at the Ya Hala agency in Cairo. Ahmad is familiar with the registration process since his parents and younger sister have evacuated already.

How long will this take? Will you register everyone at once?

As mentioned above, the border is currently closed, though once evacuation is a possibility, we will transfer the funds per family and begin the registration process, then register the next family once we have the funds for them, etc.

Thank you for your support!

Know that your contribution will be life-saving and very much appreciated. To leave their homes has not been an easy decision for the family, but it is currently the only way to stay alive and to provide a future for the children. Your support means a lot, so thank you for considering donating for this cause. Everything helps!

Please share this fundraiser with your friends, families, and networks who would be interested in supporting Palestinians directly.

Alex, Ahmad and his family.