Help Walaa and her family evacuate from Gaza

Hi, this is me, Walaa Abusamra, 24 years old and living in the Gaza Strip from childhood, with my family of ten. But since the beginning of the genocide, our life has lost all color and our souls are exhausted. We escape death every second through miracles that no human mind can imagine. Let me tell you the story of me and my family.

I'm a recent graduate doctor from Al-Quds University, Al-Azhar branch. I finished my six-years of studies approximately two months before the war, and like any graduate doctor, I have great energy to complete my internship year and pursue more knowledge with passion and ambition. However, the war had a different opinion, as it destroyed many hospitals and completely demolished any opportunities I could have had to further my education. Now, I dream of completing my studies abroad.

In addition, I'm a creative visual artist and love to create paintings in various art styles. I had been working on a project for several months and poured a lot of effort into it so that it may open on the tenth of October, but then the occupation destroyed it. The monetary loss was approximately $4,000, but the real loss is unquantifiable. All of the energy and love I had put into each piece of art, all the time I spent working on them after my work in the hospital to express my feelings, all the preparation that went into setting up this large artistic project unique to my city… All of it has been reduced to rubble.

I also have a twin, Omar, who is a doctor like me and wants to complete his internship year. Our younger siblings, Anas (21) and Manal (19) are studying medicine as well, in their fourth and second years respectively. They, too, want to complete their studies abroad after their university had been destroyed by the occupation’s bombing, along with any hope to return to the classes they have become accustomed to.

As you can see, all of us have ambitions that we would have loved to fulfill in our beloved Gaza, but we are now left with no choice but to look abroad. My father lost many of his projects here in Gaza, too, the monetary loss of which amounts to approximately $80,000. That is not to mention the destruction of our beautiful house by the bombs of the occupation that have left nothing of it.

And finally, this is my little sister, Sama (13), a creative and beautiful child. She was meant to live a life of returning safely from school to her safe home, going out to the amusement park with her friends, riding horses, and creating the most beautiful memories of her childhood like any child in this world. But here, all dreams and ambitions are buried, and the person lives carrying his soul on his hands, the little ones before the big ones.

And no one cares–the world remains apathetic to our suffering.

We no longer have any reason to live here as we have lost everything we have. We have been displaced multiple times since October, moving to different areas in hopes to avoid being killed. All we hope for at this time is to be able to leave the Gaza Strip as quickly as possible and live safely for me and each of my family members. It is extremely difficult and expensive to evacuate to safety for all of us, on top of everything we have lost. Please help us get out of this nightmare before we lose ourselves and each other. We are very grateful for any assistance you can offer us.

Funds donated will be used to evacuate all ten members of my family and myself out of Gaza City, where we are currently located. It costs US $5,000 for each person to evacuate at the border at Rafah, and we have to pay for 10 people. We estimate we will require an additional amount to enable all of us to re-establish, afford accommodation, visa costs, food, and travel to a safe area.

(before and after of our home)

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This fundraiser is being organised by a friend of Walaa’s, on behalf of Walaa and her family, as authorised by Walaa. Due to GoFundMe’s restrictions on accepted countries for the withdrawal of funds, all money raised will be collected by a representative of the family based in Italy, and immediately transferred directly to a representative of the family in Egypt, enabling the family to evacuate at Rafah.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the ongoing border closure, the family is not currently able to evacuate. All funds will be held until evacuations re-commence and border passages are declared open.