Dearest friends and family,

My name is Safia Vargas and I reside in California.

Recently one of my cousins from Gaza has reached out expressing how miserable they are with the current conditions they are living in. He’s asked for our help in collecting the funds necessary for him and his family to evacuate Gaza. They are a family of five and it takes approximately $6000 per person to cover permits to leave Gaza and the crossing fees required at the Egypt-Gaza border in Rafah. A donation of any size will help and contribute to evacuating my family members to safety. So please, help us spread the word and gather the funds so we can get it to them as quickly as possible and then they can start the evacuation process on their end.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your kindness, generosity and standing with us in solidarity during these difficult times.

A message from my cousin Ahmed:

On the thirteenth of October, the stage of humiliation and displacement began, as the noose tightened so much pain and fear invaded our hearts and we were forced to flee our home (Sheikh Radwan neighborhood). First, we moved for two days to the neighbors’ house, escaping from a horrific bombing next to our house, but the barbaric occupation planes pursued us wherever we fled, so we moved from house to house. During this time our eyes could not find sleep, our bodies became tired, exhausted, and terrified by the horror of what we had gone through until we reached Nuseirat, after covering long distances of continuous walking between violent bombardment of the buildings around us. We stayed there for 21 days, but then the conflict there intensified and we were forced to move to Mawasi Khan Yunis for 45 days, but unfortunately we witnessed the same bombing and destruction that we witnessed in Nuseirat. We then moved to another area in Khan Yunis (the Japanese quarter) and stayed for 40 days, but even here we did not find safety. We then arrived in Rafah carrying our lives on our backs, escaping from a suffocating siege on the area we were in, just to witness the most intense moments of terror and fear, as if death was continuously following us.

Between the barbaric tanks, the flaming shells, and the stray bullets, we lost hope in life. Our fate now lies on the bullet of a reckless, tyrannical soldier, or a shell that could burn through our bodies. After a hard time searching for a place to shelter, we ended up in a tent where it was bitterly cold, searching its corners for warmth and safety. But.. where is that warmth between the thin nylon walls?!! Warmer days have arrived, and with it, its insects and stifling heat. A tent is not a sustainable place to live, in addition to the contaminated food and canned food which we can barely find to satisfy our hunger.

My young son (Muhammad) has become very ill (anemia), and the appropriate food, even the appropriate treatment, and continuous examinations are not available. It's become very difficult...

My two daughters (Hala and Tala) in high school. The occupation destroyed their ambitions and hopes. They excelled in school and had many talents, including writing poetry and playing volleyball. They enrolled in many courses and centers to develop capabilities in many fields, including the English language, artificial intelligence, and others.. Anything left of this has been completely demolished.

We have lost our home, our schools, our jobs, our source of livelihood, our present, and we will lose our future if we do not leave Gaza.

You are our chance to save our present and our future, and you are a vessel to escape death.

Every dollar will make a difference. Spread the word and help save 5 lives.

1- Ahmed Walid Qaoud, 45 years old

2- Samar Abdel Nasser Qaoud, 40 years old

3- Hala Ahmed Qaoud, 17 years old

4- Tala Ahmed Qaoud, 16 years old

5- Muhammad Ahmed Qaoud, 11 years old

Waiting for your support ❤️

I have set up this GoFundMe campaign to raise $30,000 to facilitate my family's evacuation to Egypt. The 30,000$ is crucial to cover the expenses that come with obtaining permits to leave Gaza and the crossing fees required at the Egypt-Gaza border in Rafah. This amount breaks down to 6000$ per person.