Help me reunite Gaza´s surf pioneer with his war-torn family

Philip Gnadt is organizing this fundraiser.

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Dear Friends,

My name is Philip Gnadt and I am a documentary filmmaker and co-producer of the acclaimed documentary film "Gaza Surf Club." The film was released in 2016 and documents the lives, dreams and aspirations of surfers in the Gaza Strip. As you know, the ongoing war in Gaza has had devastating effects on the residents of the region. Unfortunately this includes many of the people that we came to know during our six weeks in Gaza. One of those individuals, who was a source of hope, joy and pride throughout the film is the surfer Mohammed Abu Jayab. Mohammed is a father of 6 and was a resident of the Al Shati refugee camp, also known as Beach Camp. In late October his neighborhood was under heavy bombardment and his house took a direct hit. Mohammed managed to survive with only a few scratches but most of the rest of his family were seriously wounded. Mohammed's second-oldest daughter, Nismah, received a severe wound to her lower leg and had to have her leg amputated below the knee. Fortunately, Nismah qualified for a medical evacuation out of Gaza and was treated first on a French hospital ship in Egypt and then flown to Qatar to receive advanced care and rehabilitation. Because she is a minor, Mohammed traveled with her and is now by her side in Qatar. But this has meant that Mohammed had to leave the rest of his family behind and due to their injuries they have been unable to move to a safer area and are sheltering in North Gaza, unable to evacuate.

Mohammed's youngest son, Abdullah, is 8 years old and suffers from severe asthma and prior to the war received weekly treatment at a nearby hospital. There are no longer any functioning hospitals in north Gaza.

His son Hashem is 13 and has shrapnel in his back and lung and several broken ribs.

His son Khalil is 15 and is suffering from jaundice and severe malnutrition and is frequently fainting.

His daughter Sanaa is 16 and received shrapnel wounds to her foot, and requires surgery to repair torn ligaments and nerve damage.

His daughter Asmah is 19 and cares for Mohammed's mother. They are severely malnourished and have both lost over 30% of their body weight.

Mohammed's wife was injured by many shrapnel, she is suffering tissue damage and has a broken pelvis. It´s difficult and painful for her to move.

Mohammed's family is living constantly on the move, seeking shelter each night in destroyed buildings and constantly trying to avoid the fighting all around them. They are all severely malnourished and due to their physical condition and injuries they have been unable to move south. It has now been 9 months since Mohammed has seen his family but he is sometimes able to reach them on the phone and hear how dire their situation is. As you can assume, this is gut wrenching for Mohammed and he feels helpless to support them.

So I and my colleagues have launched this fundraising campaign to help Mohammed in whatever way we can. Funds raised from this campaign will be used for three purposes. First, Mohammed is able to use his personal network to get funds to his family in Gaza so that they can buy what little food is available and build their strength. Second, funds will be used to secure transportation for his family from the north of Gaza to one of the designated humanitarian areas in central Gaza where there are some limited medical facilities and access to water and food that they desperately need. Third, funds will be used by Mohammed to help secure legal representation in Qatar to help advance his request that his entire family be medically evacuated to Qatar, so that they can receive the medical treatment that they need and can be together as a family again. On that note, this fundraiser is a financial one but we would also welcome any support that might help to advance Mohammed's request with the Qatari government.

Based on his needs and the anticipated timeframe for getting his family to safety, I have set the goal of this fundraiser at 42.000 EUR. This will allow Mohammed to secure food, transport and shelter for his family during the coming months as well as the representation needed in Qatar to support his medical evacuation request. Mohammed wants what every father would want for his family - to receive the medical care and nutrition that they need and to be back together again as a family. Please join me and my colleagues in raising the funds to support Mohammed and his family. They are in desperate need of our help and our support. Please feel free to contact me with questions via the contact link in this fundraiser. Thank you and shukran for your time and your generous support.

Yours Philip