Updated - Donate to Help Palestinian Families Survive.
Uninhabitable Gaza: “Palestinians inspect the damage in the rubble of the Al-Bashir mosque following Israeli bombardment in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on April 2, 2024.” Majdi Fathi/Nurphoto Via Getty Images.
Donate to Help Palestinian Families Survive. This is my second crowdfunding blog post, made in light of the World Health Organization warning that famine is imminent in Gaza, with millions already suffering. To help other families, please see my last post here.
Millions of lives are at risk in Gaza and the West bank as Israel continues to target and kill civilians, including children, pregnant women, elderly, and disabled Palestinians. Entire families have been murdered. Infrastructure has been destroyed, water tanks, electricity lines, every facet of human life has been assaulted in Gaza. Israeli citizens are blocking humanitarian aid from entering Gaza and human rights organizations have been forced to pull out of the North as it has become too dangerous to deliver life saving resources. Women have claimed having to use tent scraps for feminine sanitary purposes, and wait times for a bathroom in makeshift camps are reaching multiple hours. Bisan Ouda, a Palestinian journalist mentioned on this blog before, has reported having to eat moldy food as there is nothing available.
It is for these reasons, and basic humanity, that the world needs to step up to help save Palestinian families. In addition, reports have found that evacuation from Gaza can cost up to $5,000 per person, whereas the average household income for families in Gaza is just over $119 per month. This is why it is so important, and urgent, that we help these families.
Below will be linked GoFundMe pages set up by Palestinians to help them evacuate their homeland and get the resources needed to survive. GoFundMe is a good way to support Palestinians as the money goes directly to the families and can be accessed more easily than aid that is being held back by Israel. Anything helps.
Organized by Walaa Alabssi, Click Here to Help.
In Walaa’s words, “I came to Dublin to help people, but I can’t help my own family…
On the 3rd of September, I boarded my first flight ever, heading to Dublin, the flight of my dreams, that’s what I used to call it. I have worked so hard to pursue my master’s in public health to help and make this a better world. Everything was too surreal to believe, I was content, grateful, and happy. Three weeks into Ireland, on the 7th of October of 2023, 8:00 am. Saturday morning, I received the call that turned my world upside down. “Walaa, it is happening again. My heart is racing, this is not going to end well.” Mama.
You leave Gaza, but Gaza never leaves you; this is a saying I have been hearing my entire life, I never felt it would be true until I actually lived it. Just like any other family, we survived a lot together and had our happy moments and sad ones, but unlike any other, we also lived through wars and truces. I wish I hugged each one of them harder; I wish I had taken more photos and looked at them again and again. My family is currently living their 172nd day of war, of genocide, livestreamed on TV in the twentieth century.
These are the photos of my family, Mama Iktemal, Baba Hatem, My siblings, Wafaa, Salim, Eman, Mohammed, Hashem, Reema and Ahmed... Yes, we are a big family of hardworking and aspiring minds.
48000 - will be evacuation fees for my family through the Egypt-Rafah crossing border.
6000 - for my brother Salim's hand operation
the rest will be the website commission and living support for my family in Egypt (rent and living expenses).
Life is all about giving. By helping me and my family now, you are being a part of the new chapter of the future change this world needs. The best change-makers are the ones who experience the worst.
Thank you.
Your survivor’s guilt speaking,
Walaa AlAbssi”
Organized by محمد عسلية, Click Here to Help.
in محمد عسلية’s words, “Hello, how are you? In light of this war, my family needs food and needs things. Many: The Israeli occupation killed my brother and the Israeli occupation killed my mother. The Israeli interest killed my family's joy. My little sister is still in northern Gaza. I want to help everyone. I hope you can help me with anything. In light of this war, we need food, we need drink, we produce many things, and we need many things. I hope you can help me with anything, and thank you for this. Thank you, this is a great appreciation for me.”
And in an update on April 4th, still €17,000 short of the goal, “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting my family, which, thanks to God and your grace, has reached my family with 16 thousand euros. I hope to gain your trust. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. My family in northern Gaza is praying for you.”
Organized by Hussein Abukaresh and Lina Abukaresh, Click Here to Donate.
In Lina’s words, “Dear Compassionate Supporters,
I am reaching out to you with a plea that weighs heavily on my heart. My father, Ghoson Abukaresh, a 70-year-old Palestinian residing in Gaza, is facing unimaginable peril amidst the relentless conflict. As his daughter, I implore you to join me in a mission to secure his safety, well-being, and access to urgent medical care.
Ghoson, a resilient and determined individual, has endured the horrors of war, but the ongoing conflict in Gaza has presented him with challenges that surpass anything he has faced before. Following the destruction of our family home and neighborhood, my father sought refuge in an UNRWA clinic. Tragically, he was injured in an airstrike, sustaining severe wounds from shrapnel in his arm and foot. The shrapnel remains lodged in his body, causing excruciating pain and complications, further exacerbated by his diabetes and high blood pressure.
Here is a glimpse of my father's dire situation:
Ghoson Abukaresh, my beloved father, bravely battling the consequences of war.
Despite his suffering, my father remains steadfast in his desire for peace and security. He dreams of a life free from the turmoil of conflict, where he can live out his days with dignity and tranquility.
To facilitate my father's evacuation from Gaza and provide him with the urgent medical attention he needs, we are seeking your support. The funds raised will cover:
Surgery and medical treatment: €40,000. This includes the removal of shrapnel, along with necessary medical procedures, medication and rehabilitation to ensure his recovery.
Travel expenses to a safe destination: €20,000
Rafah Crossing fees: €10,000. The expenses associated with coordinating his safe passage through the Rafah border crossing to reach a place of refuge. This covers the costs associated with transporting my father to a location where he can receive adequate medical care and begin the process of rebuilding his life.
living expenses: €1,000 a month (a total of €6,000 for six months) This will provide for my father's basic needs, including accommodation, food, medication, and other essentials, for a period of six months.
Your generous contribution, no matter the size, will make a profound difference in my father's life. Together, we can provide him with the lifeline he desperately needs to access medical treatment and find safety away from the conflict zone.
Please consider sharing this campaign with your friends, family, and networks to amplify our reach and impact. Your support will bring us one step closer to securing my father's health and safety.
On behalf of my entire family, I extend my deepest gratitude for your compassion and support during this challenging time. Together, we can make a meaningful difference in my father's life and provide him with the security and care he so urgently requires.
With heartfelt thanks,
Lina”
