<div><strong>"I have never received much attention in such a matter before, except from (Australians).</strong>
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<div><strong>Because in our lives, (Australians) are our hope. There is still much good in this world"</strong>
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<div>I am fundraising for my good friend, and animal advocate, Muhannad (who wrote the above), to cover the cost of his family's visa applications, coordination fees to exit Rafah (if Eygpt gets its border back), their legal fees, and to support of these young Sulala Animal Shelter workers.
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<div>These two couples one with a a new born the other with a beautiful baby girl have asked for assistance to leave Gaza. These people are wonderful and need the support of kind hearted Aussies (and frankly so do I).
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<div>They literally have no one outside of Gaza, but me and those who support them and this page.
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<div>The only animal shelter in Gaza, Sulala and its brave founder Saeed and his deeply dedicated shelter workers have worked for years to provide shelter, food and care to injured, disabled and displaced animals for years.
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<div>After more than a 9 months of bombing, these 2 young couples homes have been destroyed and they are now entirely displaced more than 8 times and attempting to survive in a shelter centre(s), subjected to bombing less than 10 metres from their small flimsy tent, which offers them no protection (and in the overcrowded homes of those who can take them in). Their dire situation compounded by the scarcity of food (they eat once a day), no water or contaminated water and inadequate medical access.
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<div>Their beautiful new born was born days before the bombardment and was discharged from the hospital the day before the destruction of Gaza began, so she had neither an identity card nor a birth certificate except a hospital discharge paper, making the applications more complex. Ironically after the great hardship and wait her certificate on the same day the invasion of Rafah began (7 May) we now have her birth certificate and identity number. All too late.
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<div>Addressing the plight of these young, married, engineering and architecture graduates and devoted animal lovers is a humanitarian imperative, contributing not only to their well-being but also doing what Australians do best.
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<div>Crushingly, the same day of the invasion of Rafah and the occupation of Egypt's border crossing the Australian Government rejected their subclass 600 (tourist visa), which is the "emergency visa" the government announced within weeks of the war, on the basis that our Palestinians don't have employment in Gaza. For clarity, no one (with the exclusion of aid workers) has employment in Gaza. Leaving us to now apply for a (humanitarian visa), which takes 4 years...and currently the Australian Government is refusing to provide humanitarian visas to Palestinians. BUT we have begun preparations for if/when human decency returns to immigration policy for those being exterminated on mass in the Gaza enclave.
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<div>Its hard to not think of past leaders, like Liberal Prime Minster, Malcolm Fraser, who is rightly credited for opening its doors to thousands of refugees, from 1975 to 1982 some 200,000 migrants arrived including people displaced from the Vietnam War...unfortunately humanity in immigration is in short supply especially within the Liberal Party.
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<div>Or Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawk who did not consult cabinet before making a tearful promise to allow Chinese students to stay after the Tianamen Square Massacre, when he was famously told <strong>"You cannot do that, prime minister', I said to them, "I just did. It is done".</strong>
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<div>I can tell you with comfort you couldn't ask for kinder, more deserving human beings, than these. There is a reason I have dedicated extraordinary amounts of time to this, it is because of them, our friendship, and because it needs to be done.
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<div>Funds will be used to cover the costs of legal fees, visas, translation of documents, important support monies for the families while they are in Gaza and in any asylum country between now and their hopeful goal of Australia.
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<div>In the very unlikely event that we exceed their financial needs or given their lives are at risk they do not survive the process during bombardment, any remaining funds will be used to support other verified Palestinian visas, legal fees, and needs.
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<div>They are in dangers we can't conceive of, if you feel impotent on this conflict, this is a time when you can genuinely contribute to ease the suffering of these Palestinians.
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Claire Hennekam

Anonymous

L.J. Matthews

Maral Cavner

Amanda St. Clair

Heather Weidman

Erin Cuarenta

Melissa Perry

Emily Warden

Alex Gerber

Kail Boston

Help Animal Shelter Workers Leaving Palestine

Help Animal Shelter Workers Leaving Palestine

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