Help Yasmeen and her displaced family find shelter in Gaza

Hello, my name is Emma and I am raising funds to help my friend and colleague Yasmeen Fayeq Al-Sous to afford shelter in Dier al Balah for her and her family. Originally from Gaza City, Yasmeen and her family have been displaced numerous times since the War began last year. I met Yasmeen in 2017 when I was working in Gaza. In addition to working together, she opened her home to me and we spent hours exploring Gaza, attending parties and drinking tea together. Her generosity, hospitality and warmth is unparalleled.

After initially being displaced in December 2023 and forced to flee to Rafah, Yasmeen's family home was destroyed and burnt beyond repair, along with all of their belongings and family memories.

After a few months of being displaced in Rafah, Yasmeen was forced to flee again in anticipation of the Israeli invasion. With nowhere to go, her family was housed in a tent in the 'safe zone'. The tent lacked the basic necessities of life, was overcrowded, stifling hot, and had horrific sanitation.

After repeated Israeli bombings of safe zones, Yasmeen and her family were displaced again, this time ending up back in Deir al Balah. Due to the astronomically high levels of displacement and catastrophic destruction of infrastructure, housing costs have skyrocketed. While Yasmeen dreams of rebuilding her house once the war is over, at the moment, she has found a place to rent in Deir al Balah for her family. The rent in Deir al Balah however, is extremely high and she is struggling to afford it.

Yasmeen's son, Hamoud, has his birthday on September 30th. Last year, Yasmeen gifted her son a desk for his birthday. The desk, his books and his school bag that used to sit on the ground beside it were destroyed along with their house. This year, she hopes to give him the gift of shelter.

While the suffering in Gaza may feel incomprehensible, here is a way you can make a big difference in someone’s life. Please help Yasmeen secure a place to live. In addition to affording rent in Deir al Balah, your contributions will go towards meeting their basic needs and eventually, rebuilding their lives and home once the war is over.

Any contribution would help and is greatly appreciated. Thank you!