Help me bring my family in Gaza to Canada

Hello everyone, my name is Hazim, a Palestinian-Canadian man from Gaza living in Kitchener-Waterloo, ON, Canada. I have been separated from my family since 1999 due to the siege on Gaza and am now fundraising to bring my mother, three siblings, uncle and their 14 (all together) children to Canada. While the newly announced emergency immigration pathway gives our families much needed hope, Canada is unfortunately not providing any financial support, and many families are fundraising to help withstand the enormous financial burden of travel and essentials alone. Please read our story and breakdown of expenses below.

OUR FAMILY

Assil, husband, and five children:

Just weeks ago, my sister’s family were living in the operating room of a dentist's office. They were displaced from their home to a tent just before that. In the last few years Assil has suffered the passing of her little girl from cancer, also an indirect result of the siege on Gaza and its choke hold on the sick and vulnerable. With her home and her husband's workplace and source of income destroyed, they have nowhere to return. This is only one example among the rest of the 23 members of our family who I hope to provide a better life for in Canada.

Uncle Tawfiq, wife, and two sons:

My uncle (who we are applying for through his sister, my aunt, also a Canadian citizen) has been stuck in the especially dangerous and deadly north since the start of the war; just last week he was trapped in the stairwell of his home with his wife and two children, without food or water, for five consecutive days under tank fire. This brother of my aunt is her best friend, and they have been separated for 20 years because of the siege.

Nael, wife, and five children:

My twin brother's home, his car, his dental clinic and sole source of income, were all destroyed in air strikes. His wife is also a doctor and her income and modest savings are also gone. They are still displaced and are currently living among 20 people in a single apartment. During the bombardments, seeing his kids terrified and unable to comfort them has been the hardest part on my brother. Since Canada’s announcement, Nael’s teenage son has woken up every morning to ask his father whether there is any more news from me: this has been their only hope and I will do everything in my power to make it happen.

Mohammed "Boody", wife, and two daughters:

My younger brother is taking shelter in a tent with his wife and two daughters. He is stranded far from my siblings and travel even short distances is dangerous. They are forced to cook on firewood or modest equipment. They have little food, water, and communication. These little girls are in a constant state of terror. Every time they are forced to relocate, their new shelter quickly becomes a danger; like all our children they have had to see environments of dangerously close proximity completely destroyed again and again.

Last but not least, my widowed mother:

My mother, the pillar of our family, has been enduring this horror alone; she was taking shelter in one place that was destroyed and is still displaced in the home of family friends among 30 people. She was widowed in 2012 when we lost our father due to a shortage of basic antibiotics in Gaza. His premature death was preventable if not for the cruelty of the siege. The fear of losing my mother now is a constant haunting thought. I pray that we don’t see this happen again to our only surviving elder.

While my family are just one example among millions, I know they will not forget their people and their homeland. Your support isn't just about aiding my family's journey out of Gaza; it's about something much bigger. It's about showing the world that compassion knows no borders. It's about proving that collective empathy can transcend distance and circumstances. As the most recent reports state, there are over 1.8 million displaced people in Gaza, and over 65,000 housing units completely destroyed. After the 2014 war, experts estimated that it would take 100 years to rebuild Gaza. How long would it take after this unprecedented catastrophe? What future will my family have in the meantime?

Like most Canadians our modest middle-class family would not be able to withstand the financial burden that comes with this emergency. I know my little nieces and nephews will have so much to contribute to their new homes and communities here, and that they deserve a safe and calm place to recover from the unspeakable traumas of the war before they are able to become the artists, journalists, doctors, engineers, and global citizens they aspire to be. My family like all Gazans are hardworking people; I am certain that by offering them a path to Canada, they will be back on their feet in no time.

Please find more details below on where your donations will be going. Time is not on our side, and we are paying for every moment with our blood, so I thank you for your urgency and generosity of attention.

Travel and application expenses not covered by the Canadian government:

- Notary and translation fees for required documents (approx. $800 total)

- Application fees for 23 people ($100/person, $2,300 total)

- The stay in Cairo for 3-4 weeks waiting for paperwork (est. $3,500)

- Biometrics fees in Cairo (mandatory for adults) ($170 x 4 families, $85 for individual mother, $765 total)

- Flight tickets for 23 people from Cairo to Toronto (est. at $1,500/person, $34,500 total)

Settlement expenses (for the first 3 months until they are able to work):

- Rent (three houses or apartments, some family accommodation already existing) (est. $2,000/house per month, $18,000 total)

- Furniture (est. $3,000)

- Personal essentials/winter clothing etc. (est. $2,000)

- Daily living expenses (est. $2,000/month x 4 households x 3 months, $24,000 total)

More Information on Canada's Emergency Program

After months of pleas from Canadians with extended family members in the war zone, Immigration Canadian Minister Marc Miller announced the new temporary visa program for people in the Gaza Strip who have Canadian relatives. Miller called the situation in Gaza “unlivable,” he expects to have a temporary visa program up and running by Jan. 9, 2024. He underscored the challenges of getting out of the besieged Palestinian territory. Mr. Miller said that Canada has no guarantees from Israel, Hamas, or Egypt that extended family members on Canada's list will be able to leave. Moreover, the Canadian Government will not have any financial assistance for evacuees or their families in Canada. It means that my family will have to pay all the travel expenses, in addition to the settlement in Canada on their own.

All excess funds not used towards our family's emergency relocation will be donated to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF).

With gratitude,

Hazim