My name is Catherine, and I live in the UK. I am creating this fundraiser for Afnan, her husband Kareem, and their three beautiful young children: Athir, Hazar, and Areeb. I came to know Afnan and her family through my daughter, who fundraises for Palestinian families. My daughter connected me with Afnan so I could try to help them in this time of unimaginable hardship.

Since the start of the war, Afnan’s family has endured displacement, hunger, and illness. Afnan wants you to hear their story in her own words:

“We are from eastern Khan Yunis. We have been displaced dozens of times. We slept in tents and more than once we escaped certain death. Our tent was torn apart by shrapnel. Unfortunately, when we are displaced, we walk several kilometers, me and my young children, crying from exhaustion and thirst. At that time, I cannot bear it and I cry with them over our situation. We did not need anyone before the war, but now everything is different. We lost our work and our money.”

“We were displaced and couldn’t find a place to go. My children and I slept on the street on the sidewalk for several days. I went to more than one place to get a tent, but unfortunately, no one responded. I am very broken inside, I feel very humiliated, but for the sake of my children, I am trying to regain my strength.”

“We were forced to sleep in the street in the bitter cold. During this period, my daughter contracted hepatitis due to the unsanitary water we were drinking and the excessive consumption of canned food.”

“The water we drink is completely unfit for drinking. This is part of our suffering that is renewed every day, and we are trying by all means to alleviate it.”

“Food is very expensive, and vegetables are available in limited quantities and are very expensive. To drink clean water, you must purchase it, as free water is not suitable for drinking.”

“My children have not eaten bread or vegetables for two months. We only live on rice from the takiyyas, which are now closed, unfortunately. The prices are very high and beyond our means.”

“What really worries me is my innocent little children asking me for the simplest things and we can’t due to lack of money and high prices. Imagine not eating vegetables for more than two months due to their high price, and also bread due to the high price of flour.”

“Part of the cost is for medical treatment, as government clinics do not provide medication on a regular basis, forcing you to go to a private clinic, which is unfortunately very expensive.”

“Let me tell you about the greatest suffering we’ve faced: going to the bathroom. Isn’t this one of the most basic human rights? But in the Gaza Strip, we’ve been denied it. To even use the bathroom to relieve ourselves, you have to wait in long lines.”

“We roam the streets looking for firewood to make a little food. May God suffice us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs. We are exhausted in every sense of the word. And the prices are extremely high.”

“I am trying to protect [my children] from many of the negatives of this war. They have changed in this war — but what matters to me is that we stay safe.”

“Every person who donates to the children will make a difference. May God bless you. I will never forget your kindness as long as I live.”

Where your donation will go

All funds raised will go directly to Afnan, Kareem, and their children — the ultimate beneficiaries — to provide food, clean water, warm clothing, medicine, shelter, and other necessities. I will manage the funds and ensure they reach the family. The plan is to send the money via bank transfer, but because of the changing and dangerous conditions in Gaza, it may be necessary to use another secure method to ensure the money reaches them safely.

Please, if you can, help this family. Every donation, no matter how small, will bring them closer to safety and dignity. And if you can’t donate, please share this fundraiser so that Afnan’s voice can reach more kind hearts.

“This really doesn't describe half of the true story of the suffering we've endured.”