Help Randa's family in Rafah

Hello everyone, my name is Randa, I am living in Leeds, and I am currently fundraising locally for my family in Gaza. They are trapped in Rafah (south of the Gaza Strip) entirely at the mercy of the Israeli military. The situation is utterly devastating. Dozens of souls are losing their lives daily and the civil infrastructure is in tatters, rendering Gaza a hellish and uninhabitable nightmare.

My family, including my parents, six siblings, three nieces, eight nephews, three sisters-in-law and two brothers-in-law, are caught in the midst of this turmoil. I used to engage in daily conversations with them, but unfortunately, I haven’t been able to see them via video for over four months due to the lack of electricity and internet access. Regular communication has become a luxury and there are times when I can’t reach them for days or even weeks. Necessities like food, water, and electricity are scarce and the prices of the limited goods in the market are soaring.

One bag of flour currently costs more than $100.

My family was forcibly displaced from my childhood home in the north of Gaza after artillery shells bombed their house. They had to walk through the safe passage set up by Israel to reach the south. The young ones couldn’t control their feelings while making this journey; they were terrified and crying all the way. Scenes of destruction, tanks and heavily armed Israeli soldiers have imposed themselves onto their eyes and into their memory. This harsh experience has affected them in the darkest way imaginable and they continue to feel afraid, often crying uncontrollably. Consequently, some of them are now experiencing bed-wetting and psychological disturbances.

Most of my siblings and their families hadn’t had any chance to travel outside Gaza before due to the blockade. The blockade that Palestinians in Gaza have endured for 17 years made such an idea a complete rarity, complicated and expensive. My nieces and nephews have grown up amidst perpetual wars since birth, they have never had the privilege of experiencing a full day with electricity and clean water, a privilege often overlooked elsewhere. Oftentimes when I would talk with one of the children, they were surprised that I had a consistent power supply in the UK. These children and all children deserve a life of peace, where they can play, embrace the innocence of childhood and pursue their dreams without the constant fear of war casting a shadow over their lives.

My family is now sheltering in a small, overcrowded and improperly equipped building along with the rest of my extended family of uncles, aunts and cousins. Along with ninety other individuals, they endure a daily struggle for survival without access to clean water, constantly lacking provisions, no electricity, no internet and no access to hygienic facilities. They have no privacy in their lives and are literally living on top of other injured, displaced and traumatised families.

My mum and dad recently reached their sixtieth decade in age. My dad has been struggling with a heart disease and my mother is constantly exhausted due to their displacement. Every day she has to collect firewood from the rubble of demolished buildings to stew the rice, which is the only meal they can get. There are two bathrooms in the shelter house which are shared by around 90 people, so they must wait in a queue to use the toilet and are able to wash themselves fully only once a week.

All of my siblings have lost their housing, cars and their businesses. My last brother who just started his university journey lost his right to education after Israel airstrikes had destroyed all universities in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military is not only ethnically cleansing the Gaza Strip, but also attacking the central nervous system of society, culture and education. They are turning what was once a fenced-off enclave brimming with life (despite the occupation) into an unlivable hell on earth fit for nothing living whatsoever.

Even if this war stopped, Palestinian Gazans have lost everything. They have nowhere to go and no home to return to. I will never see the Gaza that I knew again.

For this reason, I have asked my community and friends in Leeds to help me organise this campaign to help my family to our utmost ability. We are aiming to assist my family in leaving Gaza via the Rafah border, where people are required to pay fees of US$5,000 per adult and US$2,500 per child, (13 adults, 11 children).

We appeal to your humanity and generosity to stand with me and with the Leeds community to help my family to safety. Your contributions will provide them with the opportunity of rebuilding their lives in a place of refuge.

Together, we can make a monumental difference to the lives of one Palestinian family, offering them the lifeline they so desperately need in their darkest hour.

Your kindness and compassion will not only save their lives but also restore their faith in humanity amidst the chaos of war. Your support can be the beacon of light that guides them through the darkness of this genocidal campaign undertaken by Israel. Any donations are appreciated hugely and please do share this page with your friends and family widely.