Help Mohammed's Family Survive in Gaza

Hi everyone, my name is Ash and I'm helping my friend Mohammed to help get him the funds he and his family desperately need. Pictured above are the 3 youngest of his 9 siblings on the ruins of his home.

From Mohammed:

My name is Mohammed and I am 16 years old. I reach out to you with a heavy heart and ask for your support to help in the reconstruction of our lives, which has been devastated by the genocide. There are 12 of us in my family and we are facing unimaginable hardships in Gaza. I have 5 brothers and 5 sisters, and I am one of the oldest. My youngest sibling is 3 years old.

Together at home before the war

My younger brothers and I

We live in the Gaza Strip. My family and I have survived four wars in Gaza. This week, we were displaced for the 9th time. I have always been keenly aware of the difficulties of life in Gaza, and I never imagined that it would be so painful in the face of mass devastation, massacres and devastation.

My family and I were displaced to shelter centers. In the last displacement, I lost my father and my brother. I am still searching for him. I always miss him and love him. We fall every day due to hunger, thirst, and the lack of resources in the area to which we were displaced to escape from the bombing.

The Zionist occupation send us aid and it contained explosives. I saved my mother from death as quickly as possible, but she severely burned her hand. My mother's hand grew an infection and now it might need to be amputated, because when we were displaced again there was no aid to help. She needs weekly treatment for it, and the cost each which exceeds $360 USD, and this is a price I cannot afford.

I always strive to save the lives of my family members. I go to fill water from far away and head towards the plane that is dropping humanitarian aid. In the end, I did not get any aid, and returned to my mother crying from extreme oppression.

I need to raise money and travel to Egypt to save the lives of my family, my mother and brothers, and my missing father once the crossings are opened. In the meantime, we need money for basic needs: food, medicine, and shelter, and transportation.

I hope to achieve my dreams of completing my studies abroad, and I hope that I can build my future to help my mother and brothers and to stand by their side.

Thank you for sharing my story,

Mohammed

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Updates as of Aug 9th, 2024: As of yesterday, Mohammed and his family have now been displaced 14 times.

Mohammed was separated from his entire family for nearly a week after being taken and held by the occupation, during which his mother and siblings had to flee a bomb threat and relocate without him. When he came back to their camp, no one was there and there was no way to contact them. Mohammed searched for them for days and then started to volunteer at Nasser hospital since he was alone, to try to be some help to the nurses and look to see if any of them would be brought injured or martyred. Luckily through connections in Gaza he was able to learn that they were at a camp 2.5 hrs away.

They were reunited and went back to the ruins of their family home, where people were returning to try and rebuild, due to the occupation leaving the region. Just two days later, there were orders to evacuate yet again and heavy bombing ensued. Yesterday they spent the day fleeing with thousands to a new "safe" area.

To get access to food, Mohammed tries to seek aid, but each time it has been picked over and nothing is left. Though they try to forage for what they can, they have to try and buy food at inflated prices. $30USD for 1 kilo is the going rate.

People traveling to look for aid

This is where they sleep now-- unprotected from the elements. They are hoping to raise more funds to help them acquire a new tent and to keep their family fed.

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How the funds will get to Mohammed: I will deposit the GoFundMe into my bank account and send it via PayPal to Mohammed. He will be spending it on medical costs (his mother recently injured her hand and is having to get treatment), food, and transportation as they have to keep moving for safety. Everything is Gaza is extremely expensive right now due to the lack of resources and famine caused by Israel's blockade. That means that basic medical care, food, and other resources are marked up beyond belief.

Stay in touch with Mohamed at @moh__rezq1 on Instagram