<div>Hi, my name is <strong>Andrew Smith</strong>. I live in <strong>Whitchurch, Hampshire, UK</strong>.
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<div>I have known a young Gazan woman named <strong>Fida</strong> for many years. Until October 7th 2023 she lived in Gaza City with her five young children. Since the war broke out, like most Gazans the family have been displaced more than once, and are now living in a tent in the south of the Gaza strip under cold and often wet conditions. Fida's Facebook profile is at <a href="https://tinyurl.com/ywklrchx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://tinyurl.com/ywklrchx" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://tinyurl.com/ywklrchx</a></a>
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<div>Happily Fida has been able to stay in contact with me during her now five-month ordeal, and she asked me if I could create a fundraising campaign for her children (one of whom was earlier injured in an Israeli missile strike) and for other children more generally. On November 20th Fida wrote:
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<div>"We live in the Gaza Strip. There is a severe war. Our house was bombed by the Israeli occupation. Now we have no shelter. We do not have food or drink. I have young children. I have five children. Their situation is very difficult. They are freezing from the extreme cold. We live in a tent in the south of the Gaza Strip. I hope that you will stand by my young children and help the children of Gaza as well in order to buy some blankets and clothes. You will bring some happiness and joy. On the hearts of young children."
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<div>During 2018-22 I ran a similar campaign for a group of Gazan families of whom the main beneficiary was Fida's husband's sister-in-law, who was known as Mai. This campaign was very successful, and eventually raised enough funds to enable Mai and her family to leave Gaza altogether and settle in Turkey. Subsequently they moved to Belgium.  This campaign has now been relaunched at <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-poor-families-in-wartorn-gaza" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-poor-families-in-wartorn-gaza" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-poor-families-in-wartorn-gaza</a></a> .
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<div>If you feel able, please would you consider making a donation for the benefit of Fida's and other Gazan children? Their lives, as you will have seen in the news, have been turned upside down by the present conflict, and will doubtlessly suffer the trauma and loss as well as the injuries sustained for many years.
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<div>I shall transfer the funds to Fida via PayPal or Western Union.
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<div>Thank you so much.
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<div>Andrew Smith, 11/12/2023 (updated 11/03/2024)
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