Support Northern Gaza: Provide Daily Meals for 350 People

I decided to help families in northern Gaza months ago because they were getting almost no aid, and it was tough for humanitarian groups to reach them.

I started by supporting three families with my own funds, hoping to raise more money to help even more people, but then the siege hit, turning my plans into a distant dream while I keep fundraising to ensure these families have food.

I have mentioned several times in my posts on social media that there’s still food available for purchase, but it’s pricey, and with no jobs for over a year, they’re relying entirely on aid. Many have exhausted their savings and are left with only hope that people like us will step in to help since no one else has come to their rescue!

In northern Gaza, essentials like water, canned goods, bread, flour, rice, some vegetables, diapers, blankets, and firewood are still available, but with winter approaching and rain falling, these families are not just starving and frightened but also freezing!

Their situation is indeed catastrophic some are calling it “apocalyptic”, and while we can’t solve everything, we can at least show them we care and provide some hope. So far, I’ve managed to assist 15 families, around 150 people, most of whom are children under 12, and I want to keep helping them and reach even more families to get to my goal of helping 350 people!

We often don’t realize how fortunate we are; while these families are scavenging for food and searching for scraps. They’ve been collecting cans to sell for a few coins, but it’s becoming increasingly dangerous and exhausting.

Any contribution, no matter how small makes an impact. Your donation will be utilized to provide either canned goods, rice, flour, water, milk , diapers, blankets or firewood.to the families in need. This makes a significant difference in their lives, showing them the love and support that the world has been neglecting to provide!

(This is how I started this fundraiser):

With the ongoing war in Gaza and still with not a promising ceasefire resolution yet, and nearly all of Gaza's population struggling with food shortages and hunger, I opted for helping in a different capacity and that was to provide funds so families in Gaza could eat on a daily basis!

My name is Erika Kastel, I am a social impact activist and advocate from Western New York deeply rooted in the Palestinian cause. A few months ago, I started helping 3 families (20 people) providing food on a daily basis and now I have the opportunity to help feed 100 families (350 people approximately) which is not only rewarding but also a very ambitious project and that is why I need your help!

The cost of feeding 350 people in Gaza daily is $3,500 USD, where basically each person will receive one large meal of rice cooked with vegetables, chicken (leg & thigh) and drinkable water costing $10 USD per person (the prices of food are exorbitant in Gaza, especially for lean protein such as chicken)!

The funds raised will be transferred directly to my dear friend Hamza Khaled Al-Ahmad, who is located at the refugee camp in the northern part of the city of Gaza. Hamza, and I have worked in other projects before , he is incredibly reliable and trustworthy and he is also in charge of this project! The funds raised will be solely used to purchase the food mentioned above to feed the families. The food will be prepared at the camp daily and it will be available for the families every day at 12 pm! lThe people that will benefit from these meals are also located at the same refugee camp where Hamza is which, again, it is in the northern part of the city of Gaza.

The families are basically composed of one parent , either a widow Mother or a widow Father and several children which ages range from 2-3 months old to 16 years old! Some of these children are orphans from the war who live basically on their own at the refugee camp. Therefore, your support will bring so much joy and happiness, as no one has any financial means to get food at all!

Here’s some data for you:

As of June 2024, the Gaza Strip is experiencing a high risk of famine! According to a UN-partnered report, 96% of the population, or 2.15 million people, face acute food insecurity at a "crisis" level or higher. This includes almost half a million people who are experiencing "catastrophic" conditions.

The report says that many people in Gaza go entire days and nights without eating, and that more than half of households have had to exchange clothes and other goods for money to buy food. A third of households have even resorted to selling trash.

The report also notes that the risk of famine will increase as long as conflict continues and humanitarian access remains restricted.

In April 2024, Oxfam reported that people in northern Gaza were surviving on an average of 245 calories a day. A UNICEF survey in May 2024 found that nine out of 10 children aged 6 months to 2 years in Gaza live in severe child food poverty, meaning they are eating from two or fewer food groups a day.

The survey also found that 85% of parents reported that their children had gone without eating for a whole day due to lack of money or other resources.