My name is Hani Shurrab and I am reaching out to you to inform you about the precarious situation of my cousin Mairna in Gaza and to urgently request your help.

I am Mairna from Gaza (Palestine) 25 years old, and I am writing these lines after careful consideration. The urgency and necessity to save my family of 6 members, me, my mother, my father, my sister Lama, Dima, my little brother Mohammed and me outweigh my own resilience.

I studied Teaching English and worked as a teacher in recent years. I owned an English language center for children.

Before the war, I led a fulfilling life filled with dreams and aspirations. I worked as an English teacher, and I took great pride in every lesson I delivered to my students, inspiring them to pursue their dreams through education. My passion for teaching was matched by my commitment to helping my students build a brighter future.

My family was a significant part of my life. My sister Dima excelled in her studies, achieving an impressive 98% in high school and dreaming of becoming a doctor. My younger brother Mohammed was a bright and lively child, always looking forward to what the future held. My sister Lama had graduated with a degree in accounting and aspired to secure a job that would help improve our family’s circumstances.

Now, I find myself at a point of desperation, and I urgently and humbly ask for your help to save the lives of my family, by getting us out of Gaza. The situation in Gaza has become untenable due to slow deaths from hunger, dehydration, displacement, the spread of diseases, and the ongoing bombings.

Since October 7th, the continuous bombings in Gaza have left us homeless. My family has been displaced three times already. Currently, we are living in a tent in Rafah under extremely inhumane conditions. There is a lack of food, electricity, water, a proper toilet, and the weather is cold and rainy.

The last four months have been full of hell and horror. This war has lasted too long, and our mental health and lives are constantly in danger. We have reached a point where there is no more hope for us here in Gaza. We are just waiting to die. Even if there is a ceasefire, the destruction in Gaza cannot be quickly repaired.

To cross the Gaza-Egypt border at "Rafah," our names need to be listed in the crossing list (paid permit). Coordinators in Egypt, authorized to add my family's names to the list at the border, are now demanding between $7,000 and $8,000 per PERSON! They will not add the names until we can prove that we have the money ready.

Unfortunately, our house was completely destroyed during the ceasefire. I was able to capture a video of it, and the sight of my home crumbling to ashes broke my heart and any hope of seeing my family grow up here.

Please help me get them out. I sincerely appreciate any donation, no matter how small, that will make a significant contribution to alleviating our suffering. Please consider sharing my campaign with your family and friends to reach my goal as quickly as possible, as every second is a threat to life in Gaza. I will be eternally grateful for your kind assistance in this difficult time.

Best wishes,

mairna shurrab