Hi, I am Dr Jaafar El-Murad, a retired lecturer from the University of Westminster, in London, where I worked for 30+ years.

I am trying to help displaced families in Gaza. They have been bombed out of their houses in the north, and forced to flee - on foot - to the south. The two families I am trying to help most urgently are single mothers (widows) with children. They have arrived in Khan Younis, and are sleeping in the open, in the streets, at the mercy of the weather and the wild dogs. They ask me to send money to buy tents, but tents now cost $1,000 each (about £750), which is too much for me alone.

If I can raise £3,000 that will be enough to buy a tent for each family, and to give each a cushion of cash. That would only last them a week or two, since everything is so very expensive now.

Let me share with you some of the things they say:

"The Israeli army is asking us to move to the south, and I don't have the money to move. I need transportation. The south is far from me.

"Moving to the south requires at least $500. I need a $500 tent there. Moving costs a lot. I will stay here and provide my children with food and water and wait for death

"The situation today is very, very bad. The tanks are getting a little closer.

"Today they are throwing leaflets at us again.

"I swear to you that these are the last days of our lives, we are dying.

"I want someone to save our lives.

"I need transportation and a thousand dollar tent and I can't afford this.

"My children and I will die

"I don't know who to go to, I don't know where to ask.

"My brother Jaafar, today a small shrapnel entered my house and I was slightly injured, thank God

"The situation is very dangerous here, all people are leaving

"Now there is heavy shelling and shrapnel has entered the house again, but thank God there are no injuries.

"Peace be upon you, brother. Did no one help me escape from danger?

"The situation is very dangerous

"They throw bombs at our homes

"Heavy gunfire

"I need you so much. I don't want to buy a tent, I will sleep on the street, but I want money to move

"They told us to head south. I want to go to the beach camp it is a little safe. Here they attack us brutally. The earth shakes every second. If we do not seek refuge in a safe place, we will die. Please save my children's lives.

"This morning they sent out leaflets again.

The situation is very dangerous

"My dear brother, I am now in Khan Yunis. We do not have shelter. I need a tent to live in.

"Pray for us, we are dying

"My house was bombed.

"Please help me buy a tent to live in

"My children and I sleep in the street

"The weather is very cold now

"Street dogs are merciless.

"I need you so much, please collect the price of a tent for us, please

"I hope you tell everyone that I need a tent and collect the price of a tent for me, I need it very much"

I already send money to both of these families through PayPal, and that is how I intend to transfer any donations to them. Both mothers have asked me to respect their families' confidentiality, so I am unable to give their names. The picture above is a library photo; I wanted to share their photos but they asked me not to.