Help Hazem to leave Gaza and give his sons a new life

About the fundraiser and who I am writing on behalf of:

My name is Julie Sand. I previously worked with UNDP in Gaza and during those years, I worked together with Hazem. He is a reflected, genuine, sincere and warmhearted person who wants the best for his family and people. We have been in contact a lot regarding this appeal as it is the most difficult decision he ever had to make due to the extreme uncertainties regardless of what choice is made.

I do hope that I and all of you can support him in this choice him and his wife, Hala, have made for the family: to leave Gaza so their two sons, Mohammed (14) and Ibrahim (7) get a chance to experience a life in safety and dignity. The family is currently in Gaza City, where they also lived before the war.

This is what you are supporting:

The donations will be used for the administration fee charged by Hala Consulting and Tourism Services to leave Gaza (in total for 4 people 20,000 USD) as well as a small amount to cover other travel costs related to getting from Gaza City to Cairo.

Due to the events of the last couple of months, some of the donations might be used for urgent needs for Hazem and his family to maintain life necessities while still in Gaza City. For instance, Hazem had to use 2,000 USD (some of the last money he had left) to buy two used solar batteries so he can pump up water which is absolutely necessary for him and his extended family (he is not only taking care of his own little family). In case costs are covered by donations, I will share an update with all donors to keep you informed how your contribution is supporting in the meantime before the family are able to leave Gaza.

This is from Hazem:

I never imagined that I would have to write this urgent appeal to support my family to evacuate from Gaza. Despite the hardships of living in a small area under siege for almost 17 years, we have always maintained our hope that things would get better. We had opportunities and dreams. But neither we or our worst nightmare could ever have foreseen what we have experienced for the last 6 months. There is nothing left - no food, no water, no jobs, no hope. Only the stench of death surrounding everything.

After ending my studies in Spain, I made an active choice to come back to Gaza to support my family and my people. Now I am making an active choice to leave Gaza with the main objective to give my sons a safe future where they are able to dream. To get there we need to start a long journey from Gaza City to the South, to cross the border into Egypt and find our way to the beginning of a new life. Any support you can give to help us cover the cost of administration fees and travels are greatly appreciated and could make a significant difference for my family.

Thank you for your support and for giving my sons an opportunity for a different life.

***Traducción Española***

“Nunca imaginé que tendría que escribir este llamado/apelacion urgente para apoyar a mi familia a evacuar de Gaza.

A pesar de las dificultades de vivir en un área pequeña bajo bloqueo durante casi 17 años, siempre hemos mantenido la esperanza de que las cosas mejorarían. Teníamos oportunidades y sueños. Pero ni nosotros ni nuestra peor pesadilla podríamos haber previsto lo que hemos experimentado en los últimos 8 meses. No queda nada: ni comida, ni agua, ni empleos, ni esperanza. Solo el hedor de la muerte lo rodea todo.

Después de terminar mis estudios en España, tomé una decisión decesiva de regresar a Gaza para apoyar a mi familia y a mi pueblo. Ahora y despues de que hace veinte anos me encuentro aqui en una nueva cruzada, obligado a tomar decesiones decesivas en mi vida de abandoner Gaza con el objetivo principal de darles a mi familia y buscar un futuro digno donde puedan soñar.

Para lograrlo, necesitamos comenzar un largo viaje desde la ciudad de Gaza hacia el Sur, cruzar la frontera hacia Egipto y encontrar nuestro camino hacia el comienzo de una nueva vida.

Cualquier apoyo que puedas brindarnos para cubrir los costos de administración y viajes será muy apreciado y podría marcar una diferencia significativa para mi familia.

Su apoyo para mi y mi familia para permitirnos salir de la oscuridad significa mucho para mi y marcara una gran diferencia para hacia una vida Segura y Digna.”