Help El-Helou Family Evacuate from Gaza

My name is Rami Al-Helou. Once, I lived in Gaza city with my mother. My Sister Ruba, her husband Ismael Al-Louh, and their 6 children, whose ages range from 13 to 6 months old lived close by as well. My other Sister Sunnaya along her husband and 5 children. She lost her eldest son Yaser in 2011 due to a bombing when he was only 15 years old. My niece Yara, along her only infant son are here as well. But war shattered our tranquility. Every single one of this extended family lost its home, work and all they have worked so hard for. We were all forced to flee with only minutes to spare before our homes were destroyed by the bombings.

For the last 5 months, we are all cramped together in one small apartment in the South of Gaza. My mom battles kidney stones and chronic high blood pressure. Ismael suffers a serious eye condition. We can't secure milk or diapers for the infants. The children are malnourished and we are hardly able to find food for them, and definitely hardly any for us. The scarcity of clean water only worsens their health. After months of sleepless nights plagued by fear of incoming shells and airstrikes, the siege and constant bombardment of Gaza has left us with no hope and no certainty of tomorrow. Our losses are staggering, over 60 beloved relatives gone.

Five months have passed in a relentless cycle of displacement, hunger, and psychological torment. After much soul-searching and heartache, I've come to realize that my foremost duty is to care for my mother and seek refuge from this war. I'm determined to find a safe haven where we can escape the constant threat to our lives. But so is the safety of my sisters, Brothers-in-law and their children.

Safety comes at a high price. Egyptian authorities demand a steep fee. The going rate to exit through the Rafah border is $6500 per male 16 and up, $5000 for females, and mother with children under the age of 16 is $11,000. That is the price we have to pay to secure a passage to safety. My plea is to raise just enough to secure our departure and spare us from the horrors of war and death.