Save 9 lives: Help the Awad family evacuate Gaza

The cover photo pictured above was taken right after Hana’s family’s home was destroyed. They stayed together, all nine of them, in this room at their relative’s house in Deir al Balah before being displaced further south as shelling continued.

Note: A full breakdown of this campaign’s expenses, and the method of transfer used are published at the bottom of the page.

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Dear friends, my name is Clay Lorant and I am hosting this fundraiser on behalf of Hana Awad’s family in Gaza, as GoFundMe does not provide services in their country. Hana is my friend Dor’s colleague, and someone we have all come to care deeply about during this war.

We urgently need your help to evacuate the Awad family from Gaza to Egypt. Two of the family members need immediate medical care. With your generosity, we aim to raise funds to facilitate their safe evacuation and provide them with the essentials they need to begin rebuilding their lives.

Hana Awad is a 38-year-old civil engineer and graduate student working in the planning department of Gaza’s water supply. Together with her team, Hana has been working tirelessly to bring clean water and sanitation infrastructure to Gaza.

Hana on the job as a civil engineer with the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility.

Hana lives with her grandmother, her brother, his wife and their five children. Shortly after the onset of the war, their home was destroyed by bombings. The family of nine has been displaced to the southern areas of the Gaza strip for the last five months, where they face the threat of death every day. While they are thankful to still be together, the Awad family has lost its home, source of income, and the ability to live safely in Gaza, where there is no safe place left. Their only option is to evacuate to Egypt and begin rebuilding their lives.

Photos of the Awad family’s destroyed home in Gaza.

Hana’s sister-in-law and her oldest son.

Hana’s niece Mona in school.

Hana’s nephew Abed in school.

Medical conditions of Hana’s family members:

Hana’s 13-year-old nephew, Mahmoud, has been living with hydrocephalus, a build-up of fluid in the brain cavities, since birth. Hydrocephalus causes severe motor and mental impairment, as well as nervous spasms. Mahmoud had a valve installed in his brain, and underwent multiple invasive operations due to the valve malfunctioning and becoming obstructed. He requires neurological follow-up and the continuation of his medication.

Mahmoud, 13 years old.

Hana’s brother, Mohammed, has an eye condition called cystoid macular oedema (CMO). With CMO, the blood vessels in the retina leak and experience abnormal growth. Because of the hemorrhaging, he has extremely limited ability to see in both eyes. As Mohammed’s body has not been responsive to recent treatments, his doctor requested in August 2023 to have him examined for possible treatment to be provided outside of Gaza. Despite this referral for treatment, which was requested again in February 2024, Mohammed has not been able to get the care he needs.

To the left is Hana’s brother, Mohammed. To his right are two of his children, Mona (17) and Abed (18).

The Awad family’s evacuation to Egypt is urgent and necessary in order for Mohammed and Mahmoud to access the medical treatments that they desperately need.

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Unless you hold a second citizenship or valid visa for another country, entry to Egypt for Gazans is virtually impossible. However, our team has been able to evacuate people through an Egyptian, privately owned, and Egyptian-government-approved tourism company called Hala that charges an extremely high fee for safe passage through the Rafah crossing (see expense breakdown below). This huge sum has prevented most Gazans from leaving the warzone, trapping civilians into a devastating situation.

We urgently need to raise funds to save the lives of Hana and her family. We ask that you donate what you can and share their story on social media to help the Awad family survive and rebuild their lives.

With your help, Hana and her family will evacuate to Egypt, where her brother and nephew will receive the medical care they need, her nephews and niece will attend school, and Hana will complete her master’s thesis. Your contribution, no matter the amount, will make a difference for the Awad family.

Breakdown of the expenses:

7 x $5,000 adults (above 16) Hala crossing fee = $35,000

2 x $2,500 under 16 Hala crossings fee = $5,000

$1,000 additional Hala fees for ‘getting in the door’, power of attorney, GoFundMe cut of earnings, and extra bureaucratic expenses

$3,500 housing, food, clothing, and urgent medical aid x 6 months = $21,000

Total = $62,000

GoFundMe charges a transaction fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 per donation – we are grateful to those who add this to their donation.

Funds raised for crossing fees will be transferred from Clay’s bank account to Hana’s sponsor in Egypt to evacuate the family through the Hala organization in Cairo. The remaining funds for living expenses will be transferred to Hana directly following her family’s safe evacuation to Egypt.

Thank you thank you.