Ahmed is a 21-year-old kid from Khan Younis, Gaza, living in the most unbearable conditions during the Gaza genocide while taking care of his 6 younger sisters and both of his parents.

I have been in contact with Ahmed for over 1 year and tried to connect him with relief resources. He is pictured here participating in an aid distribution last year, always prioritizing the needs of others over his own. He hesitated to make a GoFundMe all this time because of the many inequities in Gaza. Not everyone in Gaza is connected to the outside, not everyone has an English education, and international aid organizations cannot help all areas of the Gaza Strip. Unfortunately, with rapidly deteriorating conditions, we have no other choice but to ask for help. Recently, Ahmed has lost 15 family members and friends, whom he torturously identified as they were dug out from under the rubble of an air-striked building. The bombings forced him to leave his home for a 4th time during this genocide; he now has resumed living in a tent with his family. Every time I speak to him on the phone, I can hear the eerie and deadly sound of drones over his head, and the pain in his voice. Medical care for his sick sister, Rua, and injured father, Abdul-Karim, seems out of reach. Between grief and starvation, this life that they are living is not a life. As a young person of Ahmed's age, I cannot begin to fathom the horrors and dehumanization he has endured. May we all heed the call and help Ahmed and his family, so he and his family might have a chance at life after genocide, something everyone deserves.

A short message from Ahmed: "I am Ahmed from Khan Yunis. Before the genocide and war began, I was a student in school, and I finished high school. After that, I did not have the money to study at university. I worked in agriculture in order to provide healthy food for my family. I had many ambitions and dreams, but I did not achieve anything because of the genocide."

I am Ryan from southern California, fundraising on behalf of Ahmed and his family.