Help Palestinian Refugees in Cairo & Their Families in Gaza

THE VOLUNTEERS DRIVING THIS INITIATIVE: Rawsa Al-Yaqoobi, Julien Robertson, Mostafa Shanaa

"We are spending a month with Gazan families stranded in Cairo, to best understand their stories and their needs so we can offer direct in-person support.

HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP from the comfort of your home. No NGO’s or overhead costs involved. Every cent of the money you donate will go into the hands of the Palestinian families we are supporting.

The conditions for Palestinians in Egypt are very challenging; they are unable to obtain residency or work for any kind of income. The children are not allowed to attend school (as non-residents) and gathering in groups is restricted and regulated.

Whilst they have escaped the genocide, many of their children, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers are still trapped in Gaza and they are unable to cover their own costs to sustain life here in Egypt.

On top of that, almost all of them have existing illnesses that require treatment / medication.

We have built close relationships with families who have not been registered with any non-profits for support because there are simply too many in need and not enough donors.

And through a vetted list of 70 single mothers who have just arrived from Gaza, we will continue doing emergency drop-in visits to bring each of them cash to help with their living expenses and immediate needs.

Out of respect and safety we have refrained from including photos of the families but we would be happy to connect you with them via WhatsApp."

These are a few of their stories and how you can help:

FAMILY #1: Mostafa, his wife, mother-in-law, two sons

Story: A family of five, Mostafa, his wife Tamara, Teta (Tamara's mother), his son Majd (20 yrs old), and Malaz (6 yrs old).

Mostafa was able to get out of Gaza a couple of months ago. His two teenage nieces were badly injured and had to amputate their legs.

Teta arrived a week ago, leaving behind her husband in a tent, her children, and grandchildren in Gaza. Her son and brother were martyred by snipers as they were seeking shelter in their homes. Her health issues include high blood pressure, dizziness and swollen legs.

Tamara and Malaz were sponsored in December after 2 months of bombings, which badly wounded Tamara's leg. She has since had to undergo two surgeries in Gaza and one in Cairo, in order to get her leg functioning again. She now has steel plates and is in need of ongoing treatments.

Tamara sends whatever cash assistance she gets to her nieces and nephews over in central Gaza via vodafone cash. After losing their father, they are subjected to living in basements with no light or electricity and in need of food and clothes.

Majd got accepted into the University of Baku for dentistry a week before the genocide began but lost his place because he couldn't get out of Gaza. His goal now is to attend the University of Alexandria in Egypt.

Needs:

FAMILY #2: Naema, Dad, Grandmother

Story: Naema (25) came to Egypt with her dad and grandmother for treatment. She has been riddled with health problems throughout her life and in need of constant medical care. Naema and her family have been stranded in Cairo due to the war.

Naema is married and has a 2 year old daughter that is currently stuck in Gaza with her twin sister along with three little sisters ages 8/12/14. Her husband was martyred a week ago. The family have previously received some assistance from foundations / orgs but nothing secured or stable.

They live in an unfurnished office space studio on the ground floor with no windows and a small kitchen and bathroom. Naema rarely leaves the room because one of the women who visit the building has attacked her recently.

Naema is in anguish for her daughter and her late husband and in need of emotional and mental support. The father’s wife and son (16) are currently missing and they have no information on their whereabouts. Their main priority is to collect the total cost of $15,000 USD to bring the girls across the border and into Cairo.

Needs:

FAMILY #3: 6 Brothers, Mother, Sister

Story: Been in Gaza for 4 months. It was very difficult for them to get out - they described it as a "miracle”. Mohammed and one of his brothers have sight problems. Mother (Neama) has general health issues with blood pressure and such, and Anas has a tumour in his head and experiences excruciating pain without treatment.

The siblings vary in ages from 25 - 37. They are living in a 3-bed unfurnished apartment in the outskirts of Cairo. They were able to purchase some mattresses for the floor, kitchen items and a water heater. We were able to purchase them a refrigerator, a washing machine, and a drying rack - as requested.

Couple of the sons used to work as brick-layers back in Gaza to make ends meet and support the family.

Needs:

FAMILY #4: Abdelhaleem (Aboud), Sister, Mother

Story: Aboud is an 11 year old boy with Quadriplegia. He was paralysed at 4 years of age from spinal cancer and since then, he always had a nurse to assist his mother with care. He has a 9 year old little sister, currently out of school with no solution in site.

Aboud´s mother came here on vacation in September with her family and ended up getting stranded whilst Aboud was stuck in Gaza for three months. Through the relentless efforts of Aboud's Mother and the help of a selfless nurse in Gaza, Aboud was able to escape after two gruelling months. He was at the Red Crescent Jerusalem Hospital with his nurse taking care of him 24/7 around the clock. Aboud relies on an electrical ventilation machine to support his lungs but after the IOF cut the electricity and invaded the hospitals, his nurse had to rely on a manual pump and communication through a walkie talkie to keep him alive. Aboud's mother lost contact with the hospital and was unable to reach them or get any information about her son. They were finally able to get Aboud out in an ambulance with the help of visual instructions (video) to the nurse accompanying him.

When arrived in Cairo, Aboud was in terrible shape - he had skin fungi and infections due to lack of hygiene and resources in the hospital in Gaza, as he was stuck in a room with 50 other patients without electricity.

They are now have living with a relative but are desperate to move out asap. Currently looking for apartments in the same neighbourhood for easy access to medical amenities.

Their immediate needs were a new supply of catheters (Aboud needs about 10-12 per day), bed pads, and diapers and we were able to provide these the same day we first met them.

Needs:

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