A Father’s Plea from Gaza: Help Us Survive

My name is Mahmod Safi, and I’m a 39-year-old primary school teacher from Gaza.

I’m married and the proud father of six beautiful children. Before the war, we lived a peaceful and stable life in our beloved home, surrounded by love and hope for the future.

But everything changed when the war began.

I lost my job and the ability to provide for my family. Our home was bombed during an airstrike, and that same tragic night, we lost my dear brother, Mohammed. Our home, once full of laughter and life, turned into a ghost town.

We were forced to stay there for as long as we could, seeking shelter from death. But soon, we had no choice but to flee under fire to a makeshift tent, exposed to the bitter cold of winter.

The day after we were displaced, my wife—nine months pregnant—went into labor.

By the grace of God, our son Mohammed was born in unimaginable conditions, with no access to basic needs: clean water, baby formula, diapers, or even a safe environment. We faced daily struggles—malnutrition, disease, insects, extreme overcrowding, and the soaring cost of living.

Sadly, this wasn’t the first time we were displaced. We had to move again, this time from Rafah to Khan Younis. The stress, lack of food, and complete exhaustion caused my health to deteriorate, and I was hospitalized in intensive care for several weeks.

Thanks to God’s mercy, I recovered and returned to find our home in ruins. Despite the destruction, I managed to repair a small part of it to shelter my family from the summer heat, even though we still live without clean water, a sewage system, or the basic necessities of life.

Today, I ask for your help — not just for me, but for my children and newborn son — to survive this nightmare and restore a small piece of dignity to our lives.