Help my Arabic teacher and his family flee Gaza

Hi, my name is Jordan and I've started this fundraiser at the request of my dear friend, Mumen, in order to help him and his family survive the onslaught in Gaza. His father and brother are very sick and in dire need of treatment they can no longer receive in Gaza.

ABOUT MUMEN

I met Mumen four years ago via NaTakallam, an online language-learning service - he was paired with me, and became my colloquial Arabic conversation tutor. As you can imagine, we've spent hours chit-chatting in Arabic - that's the conversation practice - and this led to us getting to know each other quite well, and becoming friends. In addition to working with NaTakallam as a language teacher, Mumen does private translation as well, having worked with NGOs like IRC (International Rescue Committee), and the UN.

Mumen and his wife, Aya, and their 5-year-old daughter, Zaina, lived in Gaza City until the extreme bombardment started in October, along with his two parents, Ghazi and Zainab, and 10 siblings.

Mumen's grandparents were originally from Jaffa, now part of Tel Aviv, and were ethnically cleansed during the Nakba in 1948, becoming refugees, living in Gaza since then.

CURRENT SITUATION

Mumen, Aya and Zaina fled by foot, walking south, with nothing but whatever money they had on them. Along they way they were shot at "mockingly" (shooting at the ground just by their feet) by Israeli soldiers - one of many traumatic experiences they have endured.

They eventually made it to Rafah on November 15, and were fortunate enough to have a friend of a friend who allowed them to stay in their three-room apartment. There were 20 people in this apartment when they arrived, and they had to sleep on the floor for 4 days before they were able to find blankets.

Three days later, Mumen's parents and some of his siblings also arrived, having been forced to walk south to Rafah. His sickly parents were able to join them in the apartment, but his siblings were not, as there isn't room. Mumen's siblings are sleeping in tents on the street, enduring the rain and winter elements. There are currently 37 people in the apartment, upon the writing of this text (January 31, 2024).

Even in the apartment, with 12 people to a room, sickness is running rampant. Mumen's father and one brother were already living with severe obstructive sleep apnea caused by a congenital birth defect, for which they no longer can get medication, and his elderly mother has to endure this situation with herniated discs in her back.

They haven't had gas to cook with since late November - that's more than two months ago. They have one meal a day at most - cold cans of luncheon (basically SPAM), or some biscuits from the UN relief packages. For months.

Mumen has had to sell his wife's jewelry and anything else they could find, in order to help their hosts pay the rent for the apartment they're sheltering in. Yes, landlords are still charging rent in Rafah, during this unbelievable crisis. (Apartment prices are skyrocketing in Rafah, if you can believe it).

They've gotten news that their home in Gaza City, and all their belongings, has been destroyed. So even if this ended tomorrow, there's nowhere for them to go.

And this is how they're just going to have to live, if they can survive, unless they can get out.

Mumen, his wife Aya, and their daughter Zaina

The remains of Mumen's home in Gaza City

FUNDRAISING GOAL

Mumen has found a way to get himself, his wife and daughter, his parents, and four siblings - sisters Balsam and Hana, and brothers Muhammad and Omar - out of Gaza and into Egypt. There is an agency there that has recently announced passage for Palestinians out of Gaza to Cairo, at the cost of $5,000 per adult. So we need $40,000 to get the 8 adults and one child out and into Egypt. We need this amount as quickly as possible. They're sitting in that apartment, or on the street, starving, waiting. They're located 10 minutes from the crossing into Egypt.

This has been a very difficult decision to make. No one wants to leave their home. They have waited for months for this to be over, but - apparently it is not going to be over soon. Mumen is afraid his family will not survive the 24/7 air strikes, some of which get much too close for comfort. And if that doesn't kill them, it will be their various health issues, whether chronic or diseases caused by the lack of sanitation, water, food, and space.

Upon arriving in Egypt, Mumen will be able to continue working remotely as he has always done. Even moreso, as Egypt has reliable internet, which Gaza hasn't had for 17 years. He's sure he can support his family if they could just make it to Egypt.

We must recognize that the passage to Egypt is not guaranteed. The situation in Gaza is so unstable and changes every day. Hopefully we raise the money and Mumen and his family are able to make it to Cairo. In the event that this becomes impossible, however, they will still receive the fundraising as mutual aid, and will be able to use it to survive in Gaza.

With regards to logistics, I will receive the money myself, as GoFundMe does not operate in Palestine. I will be directly sending the funds to Mumen via bank transfer. I will post updates and "receipts" as I send funds in periodic installments.

Mumen is the sweetest man who only cares about his family's wellbeing.

There's no donation too small. Every penny will mean the world to him. It will literally save their lives.

Thank you.

Mumen's parents

IMPORTANT REMINDER:

While every penny is deeply appreciated, please note that fundraising, even as mutual aid, is NOT a replacement for meaningful and intentional engagement towards true liberation. We should all be protesting, calling our representatives, joining strikes, sharing information and educating others, and everything else that goes with fighting for human rights and freedom for all. Direct and mutual aid efforts are done in the spirit of kinship & solidarity networks; NOT charity, not the mysterious blackholes of organizational structures. The intention is to sustain life where genocide, mass starvation, forced displacement, and deprivation of all basic rights & human decency, threatens it. Thank you ♡