Help Ruqaia escape the war with her family

Hello, my name is Ruqaia. I am 5 years old, and I love my family, especially my mom, who helped me write this text.

I live in Gaza, and I loved life here with my family. We used to have a lot of activities with my mom, dad, brothers, and sisters, as you can see in the pictures.

My mom is a teacher, and my dad is a businessman and a content creator on YouTube. I wanted to be a famous chef like the ones I see on TV and the iPad and make cakes for children.

During my few years of life, I remember hearing the bombing several times. My mom says the clashes that occurred in 2021 were severe. I remember the scary bombing sounds and how I ran to my mother to hug her for safety. However, this time is different. We had to escape our home and live in a place that is not nice, with no food, and the bathroom is not clean.

My mom doesn't show me the news and tries her best to protect me from everything happening around me. But I always hear the sounds of bombs and shooting. People say many children got harmed. I don't want to get hurt, or for any of my family to get hurt, because everyone is important to me. Basel, my eldest brother, always brings me sweets when he comes home. Haya, my eldest sister, is always there for me to make me a meal, and Ghaida helps me with clothing. Despite the fact that I am always fighting with Yusuf and Mohammed, I love them because Yusuf makes me laugh and Mohammed shows me how to play on the iPad, and my younger sister Farida is so cute; I love hugging her.

I love my mom so much. She lets me help her with cooking. And I love my dad so much. He takes me on tours by car, shows me how to swim, and takes me to kindergarten. I went to a garden called Malakiya, but mom says it was bombed and destroyed, just like our beautiful house that mom and dad worked hard to build. My dad lost his business too. Every showroom he had in Khanyounis was destroyed, and my mom has no work anymore. My parents lost everything, but they never lost hope that we can survive this mad war.

We moved more than four times between Rafah and Khanyounis looking for safety, but I heard dad telling Basel that there is no safe place in Gaza anymore. And in order for us to be allowed through the Rafah border, we have to pay $5000 for everyone older than 16 years old and $2500 for everyone less than 16 years old.

I appreciate your kind heart that made you read until this part of the text, and I believe your heart will make you do the right thing. Please help me get enough money for me and my family to escape the war.