A Plea from Gaza: Help Mustafa and Misk Survive with Dignity

We are a Palestinian family of four — a father, a mother, and our two young children: Mustafa (5 years old) and Misk (2 years old).

For nearly two years, we’ve been living through a brutal war in Gaza. But what we are experiencing now goes beyond hardship — it is survival under the most inhumane conditions. We are displaced, homeless, and struggling to meet even the most basic human needs: food, shelter, safety, and clean water.

Our lives have been turned upside down. Once, we had a simple life, full of dreams for our children — for Mustafa to go to school, and for little Misk to grow up safe and healthy. But the war destroyed our home, scattered our loved ones, and filled our children's days with fear and uncertainty.

There is no safe place in Gaza. Bombs fall at random. The sounds of war — fighter jets, missiles, shelling — never stop. Crossing the border is impossible, and there are no shelters strong enough to guarantee safety. Even the tents we now live in offer little protection from the scorching heat, insects, and disease.

Hunger is constant. A 25 kg bag of flour now costs over $600 USD, barely enough for two weeks. Tomatoes cost $15/kg, potatoes $20/kg — and meat is completely unaffordable. Sometimes we feed our children only dry bread, if we have it.

My son Mustafa used to love going to kindergarten. His mother would prepare a full lunchbox each morning — eggs, fruits, sandwiches. Now, he wakes up hungry and asks me, “Daddy, when will I go back to school? When can I eat a boiled egg again?” I have no answer for him.

Our daughter, Misk, is just a toddler. She should be learning words and colors. But all she knows is the sound of explosions and the fear in her mother’s eyes. Her laughter has disappeared. Her tiny world is filled with smoke and chaos.

Emotionally, we are breaking. Our children need therapy and psychological support — but even that is a luxury here. Kids have become used to seeing bodies in the street, buildings collapsing, and hearing cries at night.

As for housing — it’s beyond reach. The few apartments left are extremely expensive. Those of us without money are left in tents — small, crowded, boiling hot in the summer, swarming with flies, and impossible for children to live in with dignity.

We miss peace. We miss clean food. We miss a normal life.

We are not asking for luxuries. We are asking for the right to survive:

To eat clean food

To sleep under a roof

To protect our children from illness, hunger, and trauma

Every donation, no matter how small, helps us buy food, pay for basic shelter, and take care of our children's urgent needs. Every share and word of support gives us hope.

Please help us survive. Help Mustafa and Misk feel safe again. Help us live with dignity.

My name is Osama Qunoo, a Palestinian father currently living in a displacement camp in Gaza with my wife and our two children: Mustafa (5 years old) and Misk (2 years old). We are raising funds solely to help our family survive under extremely harsh conditions.

We are not affiliated with any political or military group. The donations will be used only to buy basic necessities such as flour, clean drinking water, and canned food. These funds will go directly to my personal bank account in Gaza and will be spent for my immediate family’s essential needs — nothing related to the conflict or any armed activity.

The beneficiaries of this fundraiser are:

Myself:Osama Qunoo(father)

My wife: Sondos Mazen

My son: Mustafa Qunoo, 5 years old

My daughter: Misk Qunoo, 2 years old

We are all currently displaced and living in a tent in southern Gaza.

This fundraiser does not support any armed groups or military-related activities. It is strictly humanitarian and focused on helping my children and family survive this crisis.