My name is Nat, I live in Ottawa, Canada, and I am writing this text on behalf of Ibrahim’s friends and comrades, as an appeal for urgent help to help his large and cherished family in Gaza survive.
On October 13th 2023, Ibrahim’s family members were violently uprooted from their homes in Abasan al-Kabira neighbourhood in Gaza. They fled amidst chaos and destruction with only the clothes on their backs. Their homes, belongings, and entire livelihoods have been destroyed.
I met Ibrahim around May last year. I was introduced to him by our friend and comrade Maya who reached out to me to design the flyer for fundraising events for their family. At the time, our goal was to evacuate some family members when the Rafah border was open. It was a partial reprieve we could accomplish amidst the genocide’s horrors. We as a community managed to raise enough funds to successfully reunite Ibrahim with his parents in Canada. His elderly parents are now, temporarily, living here in Ottawa, but are still fully reliant on community donations because they lost everything in the genocide.
Sadly his three sisters Nedaa, Nadaa, and Iman, along with their husbands and kids and grand-kids remain trapped and suffering in Gaza. I cannot stress enough how dire the current conditions are: nowhere is safe. For nearly two years now they have been deprived of every basic human right and their dignity. They have not had steady access to shelter as they have constantly been forced to move into different supposed “safe zones” to try to avoid the bombings, rarely with enough time to pack their belongings. There have been too many close calls. And the shelters don’t offer any real privacy or relief from the heat and cold.
They have not had steady access to clean water as it is severely limited and threatened by ongoing fuel shortages, damaged infrastructure, and restrictions on humanitarian aid, forcing them to rely on unsafe water sources due to lack of potable water and sanitation services.
They have not had steady access to food as the cost has been extraordinarily high due to the shortages and limited aid coming into Gaza. None, and I stress this, *none* of the aid is free. And his family cannot afford to risk their lives to reach the “humanitarian aid” (death traps camouflaged as aid). Over 2000 people have been killed thus far from the shooting at those sites alone and one of his cousins was killed trying to get food there. Not to mention that the only food offered there requires clean water and fuel to cook, which both are, as mentioned above, rare finds in Gaza. Their only viable option is to purchase what food is left regardless of the exorbitant cost.
The conditions listed above have caused many physical and mental illnesses. They are suffering from severe malnutrition, skin diseases, hepatitis, and deep mental trauma, with very little to no healthcare systems to turn to. Every hospital and clinic in Gaza has been bombed, and because of the constant stream of emergency patients caused by the relentless bombing, and the continuous targeting and killing of healthcare workers, access to healthcare is nearly unattainable due to extremely long wait times to see a doctor. There are no adequate medications they need for their ailments due to the Occupation’s total blockade; even something as simple as soap is difficult to find.
The children especially are suffering the most. Many have lost friends. All of them have been stunted educationally. The malnutrition has had severe detrimental effects on their physical and mental growth. There is no adequate infrastructure for them to find some sense of normalcy or comfort. They have endured unimaginable hardships that no child (or anyone!) should ever have to bear.
Despite the horrors, they are resilient. They have no other choice. They currently are living by the sea and need funds to secure food, medicine, and winter clothing. Ibrahim is currently working construction around the clock and rarely takes time to rest. He feels that he has no time to waste. He needs money to save his family. He and his family deserve all the help that they need to survive this nightmare of a reality. Your donations will give them some semblance of hope and relief. Ibrahim will be ensuring the money is transferred by bank to his siblings.
…
In advance of your donations, we would like to say thank you from the bottom of our heart. Ibrahim is such a gem. He is a hard worker and a gentle soul (he gets that from his dad). He loves cooking for others and foraging (he gets that from his mom), and is a big fan of organic vegetables farming.
The following photos were taken in the aftermath of the bombing of their home. They were provided by Ibrahim's mother.
The greenery at the back used to be the grapevines in their backyard.
A prayer mat and a slipper amongst the rubble of their house.
Unrecognizable rubble, likely parts of a bedroom and kitchen
The whole duplex collapsed on itself after it was bombed.
Pieces of a kitchen mixed with parts of a bedroom.
Total destruction.
Carpets and couches
