Samar's Family: Seeking Safety and Hope

Imagine, for a moment, that you are reading this as if I were your sister, your daughter, or your closest friend. What would you do if your family were facing death, displacement, and despair?

My name is Samar, and I am a wife and mother of three beautiful children living in Gaza. Life has always been difficult, but our home—our only sanctuary—gave us some shelter from the horrors of war. That sanctuary no longer exists; it was destroyed by a bomb that erased 18 years of memories.

Today, we live in a tent under unbearable conditions, having lost many loved ones—family members and friends, including several of my husband’s cousins. Every loss feels like a hard slap, and the fear of losing more haunts us daily.

We have been displaced nine times, narrowly escaping bombings each time. Our only dream now is to find a safe place where we can live with dignity, far from the nightmare we endure every day.

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In the tent, my children are suffering. Their skin burns under the relentless sun, and they struggle with respiratory illnesses. They have developed jaundice and gastrointestinal infections from the lack of clean water and proper food. Their innocent faces, once full of joy, are now filled with fear. It breaks my heart to see them live like this, and I am terrified they will grow up knowing nothing but war and suffering.

Living in Gaza is dangerous, and no one can leave without paying a large sum of money. The only way to escape is to cross into Egypt, which costs between $5,000 - $7,000 per person. For our family of seven, this is an impossible amount.

But with your support, we can raise the amount needed to evacuate:

Myself

My husband (Tareq)

My beautiful daughters (Sham, Masa, and Wateen)

My father-in-law (Ziad)

My brother-in-law (Mohammed)

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How the Funds Will Be Used:

$120 per person for issuing passports. (Total $840)

$5,000–$7,000 per person to cross the border into Egypt. (Total $35,000 - $49,000)

$800 per person for visas and plane tickets to our destination. (Total $5,600)

$3,000 to cover GoFundMe’s transaction fees (2.9% + $0.30 per donation).

Cash Withdrawal Fees in Gaza: Due to a 25% commission for withdrawing funds, an additional $18,360 is required.

Any remaining amount will go toward temporary housing and food.

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We cannot do this alone. Every day that passes puts my children at greater risk, and every dollar donated brings us closer to safety and hope.

Please, don’t read this story as a tragedy. This is a call to action. Your kindness—whether through a donation or by sharing our story—can save us. Please act today, as if this were your own family.