Hello, my name is Raghda. I've created this fundraiser to help my family from Gaza. My family home is in Gaza city. They've faced severe hardships in Gaza since October 7th, being displaced many times from one place to another. They ended up in a small tent sleeping on the ground. They lack clean drinking water, leading to severe stomach pain and diarrhea. The war and siege have made it hard for them to obtain basic needs like water, food, and clothes.

Now my sister Nazik will inform you about their story of suffering:

My name is Nazik Elkurd and I am from Gaza, Palestine. I am 21 years old and a student at Israa University which is one of the Palestinian universities that were completely blown up by the ongoing war that has crushed our dreams and ambitions. I live among my beautiful family consisting of 6 members, my mother Fayza 61 years old, my sister Rima, her beautiful daughter Yara, and my brothers Diaa and Fadi.

We lived in our warm house built with the labor and hardship of my father, who died 3 years ago. Each one of us has his own way and ambitions, but life soon stopped and all of our lives were destroyed... as a result of the bombing and destruction of our home, displacement and dispersal, and the health and psychological problems that befell us...

My sister, Rima, who is 35 years old, was a physical therapist at Al-Ahli Hospital. On October 7, she lost her job and her only source of income to support her and her daughter Yara (10 years old) who lost her school and her right to education and to live in safety like any child in the world.

My brother Diaa, 26 years old, is a bodybuilder and coach in clubs in Gaza. He won local championships and was seeking to participate in international championships.

My brother Fadi, 22 years old, worked in a wood carpentry factory to support himself and then to start his own project...but his plans were soon shattered by the war.

Since the beginning of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, our lives were turned upside down. We have been deprived of the stability of life and the warmth and safety of our family. The journey of displacement began, and we left our home in Jabalia in northern Gaza strip due to fear, panic, and the intensity of the bombing4|5. We were displaced for the first time from our home to the Fallujah area, and after a week came the news of destruction of our entire house, as this was shocking and painful news for all of us. My mother burst into tears, and sadness overwhelmed us because of the loss of our house, which had housed us since childhood and contained our memories, dreams, laughter, and family gatherings. We were now without a home to contain us.

The situation in Fallujah area became more dangerous, so we were displaced for the second time to the Al-Saftawi area. Only one night had passed, and the bombing began to approach to us.

With our third displacement on the same day, we moved from Al-Saftawi to the Baptist Hospital. We stayed for two days, and a warning came to evacuate the entire hospital, so we were forced to evacuate from the hospital with some of the remaining energy in our exhausted bodies. We fled under the sound of bombing, screaming, and wailing from everyone. We survived and displaced for the fourth time from the Baptist to the Nuseirat area, and in our fifth displacement from Al-Nuseirat to Khan Yunis, Al-Qarara area, Asylum School. We stayed there for 50 days. 50 days with all the tragedies, illness, and loss of loved ones, friends, and relatives.

My mother's illness became severe, and there were many difficulties in providing treatment and alleviating the psychological pressure on her. My sister, Rima, suffered from shortness of breath due to smoke and environmental pollution, and to this moment she is still suffering severely from the smoke of the fire. We were forced to light it to cook food because there was no fuel at all, and we all suffered from gastrointestinal diseases because of it. Lack of drinking water, malnutrition, and pollution.

We were displaced for the sixth time from Khan Yunis to Rafah on 12/3/2023. We did not find a place to accommodate us. We spent an entire night in the street in Rafah, cold, hungry, helpless, and lost. The next day, we found a small place in one of the refugee schools that was not suitable for living in, but we were forced to go to it...the stairwell house. (3 x 2) meters. We shared the place with another family of 7 members in this small place, which was not enough for us and not even enough to stand in. How will we sit and sleep in it then!!

We stayed there for a month and a half, hoping that this nightmare would end, but it did not. During this period, my mother suffered a broken foot and was confined to her bed and wheelchair for a long time. Due to the lack of room to accommodate us in the school classrooms due to severe overcrowding in all asylum schools, we were displaced for the seventh time from this place, which I have no regrets at all, to a tent in the streets of Rafah, to begin a new suffering in the tents... between being drowned in rainwater and burning in the blazing heat of sun.

I do not know how to describe our suffering and the difficulties we face in providing the most basic needs of drinking water, providing food, if any, at ridiculous prices, or even providing treatment.

After 21 days, we were displaced for the eighth time from Rafah, the Tal al-Sultan area, to Mawasi Khan Yunis, in a tent consumed by the flames of the sun. Everywhere we moved to, we left parts of ourselves distracted by the horror of what we see, hear, and live. We miraculously escape death every time.

Now we are all missing our home, our work, our studies, safety, and the simplest basic needs. I hope that we can travel to Egypt to join a university, complete my educational career, and achieve my dreams. My sister Rima can work to support herself and her daughter, and my brothers can find their own work to support us and my elderly mother, and a house that can keep us safe so that everyone can continue his life and fulfill his dreams. We hope that our voice will reach you to help us to save what is left of us.

Although these circumstances at this time have increased the cost of leaving, and financial resources pose a challenge, we find ourselves compelled to bear the cost of departure. We were asked to pay amounts reaching around $7000 per person, making a difficult matter, with challenges increasing day by day.

Your support represents the spirit of solidarity and the sea of mercy in the face of these harsh storms. It’s not just financial assistance; it’s a beacon that lights the path of hope in our hearts burdened with sorrows. We suffer in silence, and our journey to safety poses countless challenges. Your support means a lot to us; it means extending a helping hand in moments of weakness and loss.

Thank you, with deep gratitude and respect.