Help my family evacuate from Gaza

Hello, I'm Morgan in the UK, sharing Sameh's story and helping him fundraise for him and his family to evacuate from Gaza.

From Sameh:

Hello, I speak to you from Gaza with the utmost humanity. Every day that passes is worse than the day before. I speak to you with the heart of a human being who is on the brink of death and collapse. Every day, we see death and wait for it, but for every end, there is a destined time. Here we are, waiting for God's relief; maybe death will take me, or we will struggle with the hardships of life.

I am Sameh Hamad, from the heart of Gaza, from the city of Beit Hanoun. I graduated from the Faculty of Sociology in 2013 and worked in my field of study with several institutions. I was happy in my work and worked in various short-term contracts, but I suffered from the lack of job opportunities in Gaza.

I am married and have built a beautiful family. I have two children, Mahdi, who is 7 years old, and Tia, who is 4 years old. My wife graduated from the Faculty of Education. Due to the lack of work in our country, I used to help my father in the tailoring trade, earning my living from this craft. Eventually, I established my own shop for my family, which cost me $10,000. My wife worked at a private educational center to help me meet the needs of the family. We were a very happy family, living in a modest home that we built with love with my family, neighbors, and friends.

Then, fate intervened with this brutal, painful war that caused us to lose loved ones. They destroyed my home, turning it to ashes, and my workplace became dust, as if it never existed. And with that, our dreams and the dreams of my children, whom I tried so hard to make happy and comfort, were shattered. We are now without shelter, food, water, clothing, or any of the essentials of life. I lost my identity, and all I have left are my tears and my sorrow. I worked so hard to build everything, only to lose it all.

I lost loved ones—three uncles whom I count as martyrs with God, my grandfather and grandmother, my brother’s wife, and my wife’s grandfather and uncle. We were a complete family, but now I see empty seats where they once sat, and they are gone forever.

We began the phase of displacement, moving from the north to the south. I took my family to Deir al-Balah, where bombing was everywhere, and my children experienced the fear and horror of seeing people die before their eyes. Their minds have painted a very terrifying picture. How can I erase these images from their minds? They now need psychological support.

One day, I took my son Mahdi to a shop to get his hair cut, and there was a mosque nearby. The mosque was completely bombed, and we narrowly escaped death. My son was so traumatized that he began to scream more and more, until he had a psychological breakdown. He now fears every outing and refuses to go anywhere with me. He expresses himself in a very aggressive manner, and his entire way of thinking and behavior has changed due to the intensity of his fear.

We were displaced as winter was approaching, making life even more difficult. I couldn’t provide warm clothes for my children or hot water for them to bathe. I resorted to buying used clothes, collecting plastic and nylon sheets, and gathering some firewood to provide them with food, drink, and hot water. We even struggled with the fear of using the bathroom, worried about the spread of diseases from one person to another. In short, we lived like animals with no shelter, no food, no clothing, no drink, and nothing else.

I have lost the will to live in Gaza. I hope that those with compassionate hearts will support and help us, for we deserve a better life than this. I ask for your help for me, my children, and my wife in this campaign. We need $30,000, which includes permits and crossing fees to leave Gaza through the Rafah crossing. It costs $5,000 per person, totaling $20,000 for four people, in addition to securing the basic needs of four people, such as rent, clothes, food, and drink at the beginning of our journey.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my story. I am full of hope that you will help me and my children and get them out of the psychological distress they are suffering from. They are at the beginning of their educational journey, which they have been deprived of. I hope for your assistance.

Sameh.