Help the El-Wishahy Family Survive Winter

Mary Yoder is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

How can one survive the cold wind and rain with little food in this threadbare tent!

I am honored to be organizing a fundraiser for my friend, Seif, and his dear family (the Al-Washahi’s including parents and children aging 9-25 years old), in Southern Gaza. I have known them since the spring of 2024 and have daily contact. The situation is BLEAK and dangerous with lack of food and a primitive tent in the cold of winter. Food is extremely expensive. Last week, the family only ate flour, nothing else. One sack of flour costs $200. Eggs are $32 per carton, and potatoes are $24-$28 for one tomato or potato. Cooking oil costs $25 per liter, Chickpeas are still available, but now the flour is gone. They will soon run out of money! How can they survive?

We are collecting money for maintaining this wind-shattered tent, wood for heating, warm clothing, blankets, and detergents for tent and latrine cleaning. Each week the family spends hundreds of dollars (shekels) and will soon run out. They have moved from Northen Gaza eight different times and are now in this southern region Deir Al-Balah. Their home and prior tents have been bombed and completely decimated. We cannot imagine the trauma.

Cold winds whip through the tent and terrify the family, especially at night.

The Washahi’s family home in Northern Gaza was completely destroyed even though they had NO connection to violent groups. This is a before and after photo. Since then, they have been forced to move eight different times.

We are all praying for this terrible war to end, so let's donate to this very peaceful, loving family who wish to stay alive, healthy, and live a better life. Please know that any remaining money will be to help them leave the country post cease-fire. I am a registered nurse from Central Ohio having made numerous trips to the region, supported by my church, Columbus Mennonite.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

- Mary Yoder

From Seif, the eldest son - Hello, I am 25-years-old and former resident of the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood in Northern Gaza. I graduated from Al-Azhar University with a BA in Media and Mass Communication. But I was not able to work in the media due to the occupation's targeting of journalists. Instead, I worked as an accountant and cashier in a restaurant before the tragic events of October 7th.

My family consists of seven people living in Southern Gaza, the Deir Al-Balah neighborhood. This includes my father, mother, 2 brothers (one is now in Egypt) and 2 sisters. This campaign is to raise funds for only the essential items. Life in the Gaza Strip is incredibly harsh and cruel. In the past, it has been a constant arena of armed conflict and wars. In each aggression, we lost many things, but had opportunities to rebuild. But this time, the war took everything from us.

Family members include: Father, Mohammad Al-Washahi (60 years old); the mother, Nuha Al-Washahi (51); and five kids between 9 and 25 years old: Saif Al-Din (25), Nour Al-Din (23), Lama Mohammad (20), Siraj Al-Din (14), and Tia Mohammad (9).

In happier times: the Al-Washahi family – summer of 2023