Help fourteen survivors of the Gaza war resettle

During this war in Gaza, we have often asked ourselves what can I do?

I am reaching out to all of you with an opportunity to effectuate change on behalf of a Gazan family - the immediate family of my close friend of ten years, Hasan.

On October 20th I got a text from Hasan saying: "My family house is destroyed. They were in the basement. They survived."

Hasan proceeded to explain that his father saved his entire life to build a five-story apartment building that would house his seven children and their next generations.

After the 14 family members fled from their home, they were separated - Hasan's mother and father, who are severely handicapped and immobile, stayed in the north of Gaza after the Israeli Army ordered all civilians to the south. Hasan's oldest sister remained by the side of his parents, serving as their aide. The other ten members of the family escaped to Khan Younis.

At this moment, Hasan and I vowed to leverage our networks to get the family to safety.

Weeks followed and these fourteen family members had to constantly move to stay alive. They switched locations at least 12 times, survived multiple bombings, and sustained critical injuries without access to any medical care.

An embassy call on December 15th informed us of what we were told was impossible: thanks to the advocacy of a coalition of 117 diplomats, activists, and religious leaders from over six countries, this family was given 14 humanitarian visas to Europe.

On December 20th we were notified that Hasan's family was granted permission by Israel, Egypt, and Hamas to cross Egypt's border to Cairo, where a group of activists organized a supply of food, clothing, medication, and transport to the necessary embassy appointments to obtain travel documents.

On December 22nd ten family members took a flight to safety. On January 6th a coordinated evacuation took place from Al Shifa Hospital in Northern Gaza to Rafah for Hasan's parents and sister who were trapped in the north.

The family is now evacuated to Europe where they can begin to recover from their trauma and rebuild their lives.

I am currently with Hasan and his family supporting their resettlement. Local organizations have provided the family with temporarily funded apartments as well as trauma therapists. They have lost their homes, jobs, schools, and lives. But they are resilient and rebuilding with the "village" of leaders that helped save them.

You can be part of our village. Consider donating today to secure their needs for the next months as we work with a human rights lawyer (funded by UNHCR) to convert their humanitarian visas to work permits and secure their healthcare rights in the public health system.

Immediate acute medical costs: $2,000

Monthly health insurance for 14 for one year: $7,500

Mid-long-term visa application fees for 14: $4,000

School for children (fees and supplies) for two semesters: $5,200

Basic weekly needs for 14 for five months (weekly medication, food, toiletries, transport): $15,000

Four apartments (+utilities) for 14 family members for five months: $14,000

Used car to transport immobile parents to medical appointments and help the family see one another (many live up to two hours apart on public transport): $5,000

Unanticipated expenses: $3,000

Total: $55,700

*Important: The first $14,400 of this fundraiser was collected to evacuate fourteen family members (this included the cost of medication in Cairo, flights to Serbia, visas to Egypt as well as to the European countries welcoming them, transport, and food, mattresses, and toiletries in the first week of settlement). We are now launching the next stage of the fundraiser for mid-term needs. We thank you wholeheartedly for your generosity.