My name is Ariana Alexander-Sefre and my husband's name is Jacob Herandi, we are from the UK. We are both startup founders, based in London. 

We are raising funds on behalf of a family in Gaza, the father of whom is a previous colleague of one of our parents. We have been in regular contact with this family in recent weeks and like many others, they have run out of options for survival and have nowhere to go.

They are a couple (30s), have 4 children (all under 9 years old), and are trying to get their family to safety after having their home and lives destroyed.

The reason for keeping their anonymity is that this is truly a last resort and a security precaution in a world becoming more and more suspicious of Palestinians based on their identity. They are happy to provide more information to specific individuals who can help or who are donating, but feel far more comfortable not having their names or photos available online.

You are welcome to find either myself or Jacob on Linkedin/social media or send a message here to ask any questions or request further details. We can then forward relevant information privately.

From the father:

"In light of recent threats from the Israeli military to invade the safe zone where I reside in Rafah City, the situation has escalated to a catastrophic level. Over the past six months, incessant airstrikes have targeted civilian homes, resulting in the tragic loss of innocent friends and relatives, many of whom were killed while asleep in their homes or while out gathering basic necessities.

Furthermore, I have begun to notice signs of distress and psychological harm in my children, which only adds to my anguish. They have been accustomed to a life of comfort and security, a reality that they are struggling to adapt to amidst the chaos of this conflict. Therefore, I have made the difficult decision to relocate away from the war zone, if only temporarily, to rebuild our lives in a safer environment until this brutal war subsides. Unfortunately, the border crossing is closed, and leaving the area requires exorbitant financial expenses that I am unable to afford."

Amid growing threats to the safety of people in Rafah and across the Gaza Strip, there is no option left but to evacuate their family to safety. To do that, they need to reach a minimum of $18k (£15k) to afford the fees to get their family out. The money donated will be used to pay for their evacuation through an agency called Hala. This is currently the sole Egyptian agency who arrange transfers and visas for Palestinians who are leaving Gaza into Egypt. The arrangement includes the family’s transfer over the border and a temporary Egyptian visa. We have another Palestinian family friend who recently used this agency successfully, so we know it works. 

The fees are as follows:

$5k x 2 adult, $2.5k per child = $20k

The family are using all of their own savings too. 

If anything changes in terms of fees we will update it on here. 

Conversion rate information: https://www.oanda.com/currency-converter/en/?from=USD&to=GBP&amount=40000

The current plan is that the money will go into an empty account I have in the UK and then taken to the agency in Egypt who will register them for the crossing. They need a relative to sign the documents, and this will be their niece who is currently in Egypt. She will be accompanied from someone from our side to the agency to arrange the payment and do the registration.

Within their savings, they need to keep enough to afford at least a couple of months of living costs in Egypt. The agency fee includes a temporary Egyptian visa. From there, the hope is to get a more permanent visa for a safer country, but that is a hurdle that can be addressed once they are safe. 

Once again, you are welcome to message us or find us online to understand more about our work and legitimacy, and to ask us any questions. We have spent weeks trying to understand the options people have in Gaza and continue to search for the most up to date information each day. 

This fundraiser is *urgent* because there are reports that the Rafah Crossing will close in May. Please help give a family a chance to reach safety before this happens. Thank you.