Urgent Aid for Abdullah's Family in Crisis

Abdullah and Ali are looking after their mother and two younger brothers, Abdul Raman and Hatem. Like so many others, their family home in Gaza was destroyed, and they were displaced. At the time of writing (June 15th), after eight months of war, they have been forced to flee a total of seven times. Most recently, they have had to leave their shelter in Rafah due to the bombardment, without anything except for what they could carry. They are in critical need of food, water, and medical supplies for their two youngest brothers.

(From right to left:) Brothers Ali, Hatem, Abdul Raman, and Abdullah, with a relative, Amir (center) Their mother, Hanan, is not pictured.

Abdul Raman has type I diabetes, and is suffering due to lack of access to medicine, clean drinking water, and healthy food. He needs a glucose testing device every month, as well as testing strips for the device which cost $50. The medications he requires can cost up to $100. He is rapidly losing weight, weighing 30 kilos in early June. Your donations so far have been a lifeline, but as the war rages on supplies become scarcer and more expensive to acquire. The need for your support continues.

Hatem, pictured above, suffers from a bone density disorder. His wrists are broken on the joint, and he needs surgery for them to heal properly. The constant need to travel long distances on foot to get to safety is taking its toll on Hatem’s health, and the malnutrition from over half a year with unstable access to food is contributing to his condition.

Ali, Abdullah's younger brother, has begun documenting their struggles and posting video appeals to Instagram. Please click here to view his page. The cost of acquiring food and water that will nourish the younger siblings and help their condition from further deteriorating is $500 per week. Their diet mostly consists of bread, as flour is one of the few things possible to acquire. Everything is scarce, and malnutrition is as much of a threat to their lives as bombardment.

The family is in immediate need of shelter in an area outside of the bombardment, which would cost about $600 per month. The situation is dire, but the funds generously donated so far have been a lifeline. Thank you, sincerely, for all the donations and words of encouragement. Please continue to share this fundraiser and support this family as they try to make it through this war and to safety. The family hopes to evacuate to Egypt once funds are raised, where they will begin their asylum application to Canada. They are a long way off from this goal, and in immediate need of support so that they may survive to start a new life in peace.

Gaza is not on GoFundMe's list of supported countries, and so crowdfunding efforts for Gazans to evacuate while under siege depend on having outside contacts. Unfortunately, not everybody does.

Please do not forget others who have no lifeline. It is imperative that we do not turn a blind eye to what is going on. The brutality of this war is absolutely horrifying. An immediate and permanent ceasefire is needed to prevent the tens of thousands of people hanging on by a thread from succumbing to injury, illness, and starvation. In the meantime, we must do everything we can to help their family, and for others trapped in this conflict.

If you can spare anything and find it in your heart to give, please give. And thank you beyond measure.

...

How this fundraiser got started:

Abdullah, the eldest, first reached out to me via social media, which has been the lifeline of so many displaced people trapped in this war as a window to the world outside. Ali has joined in the hard work of documenting their situation and advocating for his young brothers while fleeing the trail of war. They very much value their family's privacy but have given me permission to start this fundraiser on their behalf and share their situation so they have a secure and legitimate way to gather funds to support their family.

...

Abdullah and I have both gone to reasonable means to verify each other's identities and ensure mutual trust. All funds are securely transferred when they reach the sum of $100. There is an account I created for this sole purpose, and I pay the monthly service fee for that account out of my pocket. I am only a facilitator in this, and my Facebook profile is public if you would like to look me up. My last name is in the process of changing to "Knight," and that is how I will appear in the search.