Dear friends,

My name is Haya, the middle child of a family of 5, a Palestinian trying to evacuate my family of 9 adults and 5 children.

My family has lost everything and they have been living in far worse conditions than we ever imagined.

Their lives turned upside down on a chilling October night, the clock striking one past midnight. It began with an unexpected call from the Israeli Forces, thrusting them into a frantic rush. "Evacuate within ten minutes!" they demanded, leaving no room for hesitation. In a hasty blur, they scooped up their slumbering children, Adam, 5, and the yet-uncelebrated first birthday of little Haya. Fleeing to the unknown, an old lady offered to house them in a vacant room, unfurnished, on bare floor tiles. In the biting cold, they endured a night of relentless bombardment, their cherished home robbed and vandalized by the Israeli army. That night marked the genesis of a harrowing calamity, escalating their displacement to the southern territories, into an even bleaker catastrophe.

The family is in dire need of assistance to escape Gaza, a feat impossible without the coordination and resources that surpass what they can afford. Leaving Gaza requires complex coordination, involving costs beyond their means. Your support will enable them to cover the expenses crucial for their safe departure. Here's a breakdown of how the donations will be utilized:

Your generous contributions will directly facilitate the family's safe exit, providing them with a chance for a secure and hopeful future outside the conflict zone. Every donation, regardless of the amount, plays a vital role in this critical mission.

Here’s what the family has to say:

Muhammad:

That night marked the onset of catastrophe, forcing us to further displacement to the south, into a greater challenge. We lost our homes, our jobs, and our dignity. I was working remotely as a web developer for a Malaysian company. My wife, Serene, lost her job as a Graphic Designer in a Gazan company as their office was bombed along with the entire neighborhood.

Adam, my beautiful 4-year-old son, a smart child who adores Lego, spends hours constructing complex models, fled barefoot but didn't forget to take his box of Lego with him. His thoughts shifted from building cartoon characters and vibrant houses and cars to designing tents, a fire pit, tanks, and a ruined house. Adam is losing the innocence of his thoughts and the liveliness of his heart. When he learned that his favorite playing field was demolished by the occupation army, he experienced seizures, panic, anger, screaming, uncontrollable urination, difficulty in speaking, forgetfulness, and constant vomiting.

My youngest, Haya, who hadn't celebrated her first birthday yet, doesn’t comprehend the concept of war. She is constantly smiling and trying to play, she walked her first steps during the genocide. Her lactose intolerance posed challenges in finding suitable milk. Limited food led to severe complications, exacerbated by the absence of medical aid. She suffers from severe diarrhea, weakness due to contaminated water, extreme cold, food scarcity, and lack of diapers, causing significant weight loss.

Amidst the scarcity of basic life resources, the absence of a safe, clean, healthy environment for children, the loss of livelihood sources, and extremely high living costs, I exhausted all my savings in an attempt to survive and provide for my children.

Abeer:

"Abeer hasn't given a story yet, I hope she gets the strength to write something and I will share it here with everyone.", Haya.

Osama:

Hello everyone, My name is Osama. I was living in Gaza City with my small family, my lovely wife, and my newborn baby Ellen in our beautiful house that I worked eight years to build. I used to have a stable job at the Bank of Palestine.

On October 7th, we woke up to the sounds of horrific shelling and missiles. On the second day of the attack, I took my official papers and a few outfits and moved to my in-law's house. But once again, the bombing was very close to us, forcing us to flee again, but this time to southern Gaza.

As days passed, life in southern Gaza became more and more difficult. Now, we are not able to find the necessities of life, such as food and water.

What hurts me most is my inability to provide milk, clean water, and diapers to my little daughter. She even sleeps on the floor because we don't have mattresses or covers to protect us from extreme cold.

We are living the most difficult days of our lives. We do not know when the war will end and whether we have the luck to return to our home or if it will be destroyed. I don't know what I will do after the war ends because my workplace (Bank of Palestine) was destroyed as well.

Hussein:

The youngest, a computer nerd and enthusiast working building iPhone apps. Due to the war, and lack of internet and power, I have lost my job and main source of income. Years of saving for a house crumbled when the neighborhood was destroyed two weeks after moving in. Amid the war, God blessed me with a child, Saleem, and I couldn't even provide basic needs like clothes, diapers, or a healthy place for my child. Reham, my dear wife, endured a difficult childbirth without any medical, health, or psychological support.

Haya:

I'm currently living in Turkey with my husband and son, I'm hopeful that I'm going to live in a future where every Palestinian is safe (including myself), I wish I could save everyone, but I need to start somewhere and that place is my family.

Your support doesn't just stop here. As we continue our journey, I invite you to share more, to spread the word even further. Every share reaches new ears, new hearts, and new potential supporters. Together, we can amplify our impact and reach heights we never thought possible.

Thank you for believing in our mission and for your unwavering support. Let's keep sharing, keep donating, and keep making a difference together.

With heartfelt thanks,

Salim & May

Mohammad & Serene

Abeer

Haya (author)

Osama & Worood

Hussein & Reham

Adam

Little Haya

Elen

Little Salim