Help Ruba & Dad: Fund Safe Escape from Gaza

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An update: Given the ongoing and escalating challenges in Rafah, we have raised the donation target to CAD 50,000 as emergent expenses were required to prioritize their escape from Rafah and secure their livelihood in the face of mounting difficulties. Details of how the money will be spent have been updated below.

Thank you sincerely to everyone for your support. Ruba and dad are moved by your generosity. Susanne

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Hello,

My name is Ahmed Akkila, I am a Palestinian-Canadian and I am reaching out on behalf of my sister and father in the Gaza Strip who are currently facing an extremely challenging situation due to the ongoing conflict. I currently reside in Hamilton, Ontario, where I work and study part-time. My sister and elderly father have been displaced for 4 months from Gaza City to Rafah and, are in immediate danger now that the war is going to expand to the only “safe zone”. A ground invasion of Rafah looms, and we learnt in the past 4 months not to be optimistic that this violence will stop anytime soon. I want to help my family evacuate as soon as possible.

It is painful to share about the atrocities they are facing, knowing they have always been hardworking, independent, and resilient members of society. So I try to depict them as the individuals they are in a brief intro:

My father Jamal, is 79 years old, and despite his age, used to have his own store until the situation escalated on October 7th. My sister Ruba, has been a dedicated advocate for women's and children's rights, collaborating with different organizations for almost 3 decades. She has helped numerous individuals in Gaza, including supporting her siblings' education during our family's financial struggles. Both Ruba and my father have always been self-reliant, but the current circumstances have left them vulnerable and in need of immediate assistance.

Due to the recent violence, they lost almost everything they had, with our apartment suffering significant damage from the bombings. Ruba found out about the destruction of the apartment only after two months of being forced to leave Gaza to Rafah; even before the destruction by bombing, all of her belongings were looted from the apartment while it stood. Ruba had hoped to one day go back and fix the place. She had made a promise to herself to host as many people as possible when they will return home, paying back the virtue of being hosted by another family during this time.

Our apartment in Gaza, Jan. 2024

For over 4 months now they have been hosted by a family along with multiple other families; in a crowded house, they have not seen water coming out of a tap and have not taken a shower. The house is crowded and the hygiene situation is worsening every day knowing that it is becoming colder every day and that it is harder and harder to clean: They use a bucket of cold water only when sufficient water has been accessible for washing.

Ruba sleeps in the open, and the host family shares the little food they get with everyone.

Ruba

Due to massive displacement, the situation in Rafah is becoming more dangerous by the hour; Rafah’s population has increased from 280,000 to 1,800,000 and more and more people are forcibly displaced from North of Gaza and Khan Yunis – accessing amenities is not only difficult because everything runs out super quickly. It is now dangerous to even go and look for something, as the bombing has expanded to Rafah, the southmost part of the Gaza Strip. The prices are now 5 -10 times higher in Rafah. It is not rare that each one faces the atrocities of war at any time, from dead bodies lying around to body parts while they walk to access basic needs.

This is a picture Ruba took near where she resides in Rafah

Tens of people were martyred near where my sister and father live, and for hours we have been shaking in fear and agony. By the time you read this, God knows what has happened to more and more people. In Ruba’s words, "it is the norm now to hear news of dead, kidnapped, and injured family members, friends, and acquaintances". Every time I hear my family's voices on the phone, I hear explosions, fighter jets passing over their heads, and the non-stop buzzing of drones. You can read Ruba’s account of the events in detail in her blog posts:

It's Ruba from Gaza (itsrubaingaza.blogspot.com)

Ruba and my father made the hard decision to leave the Gaza Strip when they realized they were eligible to apply for a temporary visa in Canada because one of my brothers and I are Canadian citizens. So we prepared their application and submitted it, hoping that we would be able to bring them to safety sooner than not. We realize that the application that we sent, which included sharing all of our social media, details of our previous work and activities, and whereabouts, is only a first-stage webform which determines IF they can finally apply for the visa. The government of Canada has taken 10,000 applicants, so only one out of 10 has a chance of receiving the visa. Ruba and my father have waited for almost two months to hear from the Government of Canada about the result of their first-stage webform visa application. But there was never any definite nor approximate time announced by the government for the results of the applications to be expected.

We do not assume we are any near success with the application to Canada, and there is no time left to wait for saving their lives.

It was not easy for my family to reach the point of leaving; as Ruba was born and raised in Gaza. She went to a university in Gaza (one of the many universities that were destroyed). She has worked for many years in Gaza, and despite her travels for work in the past, she once wrote that throughout her life, she never even considered a second nationality because she always belonged to Gaza [this place] and she was always able to cope with it. Sadly, it seems that we are at the point where even people like my strong and steadfast sister’s spirits have been broken.

We have lost an uncle and two cousins, and our 90-year-old aunt remains in deadly conditions in the north – and there is a daily flow of death and destruction that my family faces first-hand. Ruba has lost one of her closest friends, her two children, and her husband, along with other friends of hers who lost several family members. Their host family has lost as many as 20 members in one night, and the horror is so beyond people’s tolerance that often than not, the deaths of loved ones are met with more silence and fear. While it is a privilege to still be able to speak to our immediate loved ones, nothing guarantees us the next time we are able to connect. In my sister Ruba’s words:

"This is a matter of life or death. We are bearing extremely inhuman conditions while being surrounded by terrible, heartbreaking news from our family and friends. Life here is intolerable and the risk of dying increases every day."

My sister, Abbod my brother, Ruba, in top and me, my father, our niece and my brother Mohammad, sitting before the war

This campaign is crucial in helping my sister and father move to a safer location, away from the daily dangers in Gaza.

The money raised will be used for emergency relocation and covering basic necessities as follows:

1- Necessary funds for registration with the only official transport company that facilitates exiting Gaza, called Ya Hala. The company conducts all the necessary administrative border-crossing authorization and clearing, ensuring that anyone who is registered with them can successfully go through all the border officials from all sides, with all the necessary documents. They accompany the passengers through Rafah crossing. The fee for each individual is 5000.

2- Daily expenses between now and then: The inflation in Gaza and Rafah is increasing on a daily basis and Ruba, her father, and other family members need to make sure they access the necessities of life before they are authorized to leave. They have lost their home and all their belongings, her father has lost the shop and his income, they have lost their jobs and their financial situation at current is dire as it is. Ruba's father used to support her siblings before the attack on Gaza, and at the moment all family support has been cut, so these funds will help them provide part of the support necessary for their family as they can.

3 - Expenses after exiting: Ruba and her father need to make sure they can cover their expenses in Egypt when they exist for the first few months before they settle: this includes rent, medical expenses, and daily expenditures. They will be leaving with nothing, and they want to know when they are in Egypt, they will have what helps them cover basic necessities, etc.

Your contribution, no matter the amount, will make a significant impact on my family's safety and well-being. Please consider donating and sharing this campaign to help us reach our goal.

Your support will mean the world to us as we work towards creating a new beginning for my father and sister.

Thank you for your kindness and generosity.

(This page was set up by Susanne Shomali, Ruba’s friend in Jordan, and the funds will be directly sent to the bank account of Ruba's brother in Canada).