Hello, my name is Jo Ash and I live in Cambridge, in the UK. I work as a psychotherapist and am involved in campaigning for social justice issues, within the work that I do.

Since the recent war in Gaza, Palestine, I have become involved with directly helping families there, trying to offer both emotional support and financial support where I can. Sadly though I am unable to come anywhere close to the financial needs that the families have there, as the situation remains catastrophic. There are no jobs for people to work in, so families are left to depend on the generous donations from around the world.

Since the ceasefire last year, there is still very little aid entering Gaza, many humanitarian aid organisations have also now been removed, and food prices in the markets are exceptionally high. For these reasons, I have found it is more effective to support families directly, rather than solely relying on aid. Each family is unique with their own needs, and it is important for them to make decisions around where best to spend their donations that they receive. There are always hard decisions to weigh up, such as the need to buy food or medicine? Most families are living in tents, but they still need to find money each month to pay for the small plot of land that they are on, and then money for tent repairs, particularly after the winter storms and rain that they have endured.

Nothing comes for free in Gaza, even firewood to cook with has to be purchased. Sadly food prices remain high, so everyday ingredients like flour are often very expensive.

Throughout trying to support families in Gaza, I have had the honour of becoming friends with Youssef Marwan, who is an absolute kind, gentleman, and warrior for his family. Before the war, Youssef had many jobs, working from the age of 12 years old, to support his family. His most recent career was as a software engineer, but since the war he has not been able to work. Unfortunately Youssef was caught in an attack where a tank opened fire, resulting in him being shot in the lower back. Due to the lack of available medical treatment this then led to the wound becoming a complicated issue to treat, resulting in severe bacterial infection and inflammation. Then he began to experience issues with his spinal cord, that required weekly cleaning, which incurred significant costs to treat.

Recently, Youssef has had to undergo three surgeries to get the wound cleaned and the infection removed as much as possible. He is now awaiting tests, to see what treatment is needed next, but the medical team, have explained that his contiued treatment will cost significant amounts of money. Without this treatment he is at severe risk.

Youssef also has two small children; a son and a daugher to care for. He is a single father, as his wife and their eldest son was sadly killed in the war. His surviving mother lives with them in their tent. The whole family are in great need for financial support for food, medicine, and to be able to pay their rent, for the small patch of land that their tent is pitched on.

If you are in the position to be able to donate to Youssef and his family; any amount that won’t hurt you, he and his family would be so grateful. Even small donations make a real difference, and act as a real symbol of hope and a reminder that they have not been forgotten by the world. If this is not possible for you, please do share the campaign link. Thank you so much for your support.

All donations received, get sent to my UK Lloyds bank account, and then I transfer them to Youssef’s Bank of Palestine account, where he can withdraw the money at a cash office in Gaza. Please do ask if you have any questions regarding this, or any other questions related to the campaign.

Here is Youssef in his own words:

My name is Youssef Marwan Rabhi Al-Masri, from the Gaza Strip, specifically Beit Hanoun. I am 28 years old, and have two children, Layla and Marwan. I studied accounting and software engineering at the University of Palestine. My situation was good before the war, but unfortunately, due to the war, I was shot in the back, which may have led to a problem with my spinal cord and severe inflammation. I have undergone nine surgeries and am still undergoing them because I am not receiving the appropriate treatment. I have a referral for treatment abroad, but unfortunately, due to the closure of the crossing, I have not been able to leave. I am seeking support from kind and humanitarian people to stand with me. Thank you so much.