When I first heard about this inspiring family of four — Sagea, her husband Nour, and their two boys Yosef and Ali, ages 7 and 3 — I knew I had to do everything possible to help ease their transition as refugees from Gaza. They had managed to evacuate to the U.S. thanks to Sagea's American citizenship, but were forced to leave behind grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins who faced grave danger.
They seemed understandably tired and cautious after their upheaval. In just a few short days, their incredible resilience, warmth, and humanity captured my heart, even after unimaginable hardship. We are now the closest of friends and we consider each other sisters and would do anything for each other.
The young boys miss their extended family terribly, and Sagea worries endlessly about her parents Mai and Zuhair, and siblings (Tala, Mohammed, Abde Elkareem, Maysoon, Nour, Mahmmoud and Mahmmoud's wife Salma) who are still in harm's way in Gaza. The family narrowly missed a chance to evacuate with them but the dangerous travel made it impossible.
Now, Sagea urgently needs to pay exit fees to the agency in Egypt to get them on the list to exit Gaza, before it's too late. But having just arrived as refugees, the task is practically impossible without help. The situation is dire and it’s only getting worse. Sagea has tried every other alternative to get them out and reunite them with her children but time is running out.
Last time Sagea talked to her mother she hadn’t slept for 3 days and getting food is so hard she’s lost over 40 lbs (20kg). She’s seeing the harsh effect on her siblings faces and in the sounds of their voices. It’s heartbreaking for Sagea and we need to do everything to get them out.
The government has made it extremely hard for Palestinians desperate to leave Gaza without the help of generous people like you. It used to cost approximately $500 to exit through Rafah but prices have skyrocketed to $5,000 to $10,000 per person. Gazan’s are paying these astronomical fees to exit the territory through Egypt.
Back home, this family was known for helped others in their community. You can tell from Ali’s far away look, and Yosif’s drawing of his family back home how important it is to reunite this family with their grandparents and 7 aunts and uncles.
Not being able to assist financially, I'm giving my time to support the family's basic needs. But what they need most is to get their loved ones out of Gaza. The exit fee's are outrageous and we could use your kindness and generosity. We are collecting $50,000 to bring this family back together so they can begin to heal and rebuild their life.
I am committed to helping in any way I can, but reuniting them with their extended family is crucial for their wellbeing.
Please give what you can today and we'll hand deliver the money to the agency to bring the family back together. Let's show them the compassion they deserve. Together, we can make a difference in their lives. Thank you for your help!
Sincerest gratitude,
Deana & Sagea - Forever Friends!
P.S. If you haven't figured it out yet I'm Deana an American citizen living in California.