Help reunite our little family & return to a safe home

Hello, I am Joana and just like you reading these lines, I have decided to join one of the most urgent and important calls for help of our lifetime. I created this campaign on behalf of my dear friends Waseem and Sara, and the following lines and updates are their own words.

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If you see the pictures in front of you, let me tell you their story. We are the Al-assawi family: Wasim (dad), Sara (mom), Rula (2-year-old baby) and our newly born baby Khalil. We had our modest house, not exceeding 90 meters, attached to the guava tree you see. We used to escape the darkness and narrowness of our home to sit under its shade, and feeding my child and play with her. This was the family atmosphere that comforted us in our difficult circumstances. But the war did not spare our beloved tree; instead of enjoying its shade, all that remains is the rubble of our cozy home beneath it.

On November 16, 2023 when this war broke out, for the sake of my daughter, who witnessed three wars before she was even a year old, and in order to provide her with food, water, and vaccinations, and because I did not want to see her fear anymore, I had to leave my husband, my house, and all memories behind and flee under the shelling and fire. Only with both of my babies one in my hands and one yet to come and I, to the so-called safe place (the south) through the safe paths, which were anything but safe. My daughter and my pregnancy passed through lots of tears, fear, and terror. I didn't expect to survive it, this war was stronger than us, and I had to do anything as a mom to protect both of my babies.

We went to the South, and the situation was much worse than we imagined. We lived in a tent at the university, which became a shelter for displaced people, and my daughter and I suffered from malnutrition, lack of vitamins, and diseases, as all places were crowded with people, infectious diseases, and pollution. There was no clean water or food available.

We were forced to go to Rafah for two hours and more to buy what we needed at prices that exceeded imagination and logic, not to mention the scenes of displacement that you will see and the difficult road. My daughter was very traumatized and afraid of what she saw. She puts her head down and sleeps, and when she wakes up and sees it again, she remains silent and tries to escape to sleep again.

On January 21, 2024 about three months later, when we thought things couldn't get more worse, my daughter and I had to move again and live through the same horror as before, fleeing under bombardment and destruction to another place where the area was invaded.

On May 15, 2024 that's when I had to deliver my baby, I had to get a cesarean section because my weak body wouldn't support a natural birth. It was hard to live such an experience with the lack of anaesthesia that hospitals face here. I struggled to take care of my baby girl, Rula and now her little brother.

My husband and I were planning to make beautiful memories for our children, and we would not fail to provide anything they needed. Despite our small incomes, we saved them small amounts to ensure their lives. Unfortunately, with this cursed war, nothing is left: no safe house, savings, and no income. my husband still didn't see his newly born baby cause there’s no networks, Rula also is growing up asking about her dad.

All we need is a safe and warm home to reunite our family again, to erase all the horrible memories that we have had for months now.

Any small support from you would mean a lot to us. It would make a difference and be a step towards our survival.

Thanks a million