UPDATE FROM MAHMOUD:

This is Aliya and Nia and I wanted to provide a current update today, which marks 40 days since anything has been allowed into through the crossing into Gaza. 

These are Mahmoud’s words: “No aid or supplies are coming in, and the markets are nearly empty. Prices continue to rise, 

we’re struggling to find the essentials we need. We’ve started baking at home using firewood, and even bathing using water heated by firewood. After we bathe, the smell of smoke lingers on our bodies. We’ve almost run out of gas, and we only have 3 kilograms left, which we’ll use for any emergencies. The number of displaced people in our area has also increased, putting more pressure on the water trucks, and the distribution is very poor. Unfortunately, I expect that in about a week or ten days at most, there might be nothing left in the market. Summer has started here, and we’re in desperate need of more summer clothes. Carrying and lifting water all day makes us feel even more in need of a proper bath, especially with the extreme heat. The mosquitoes are everywhere, and it makes everything even more unbearable. I feel my energy is running out day by day. The doctor prescribed iron vitamins for me, but unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find any in the market. This situation is draining me, and it gets harder every day. The sound of the bombings that starts at night adds to our sense of fear and anxiety, making it hard to rest or focus. I feel helpless in these circumstances and I hope things improve a little. But I still dream that this war will end, or that they will take us to a safe place, or open the crossings to bring in some food for us, like meat or chicken, as our bodies really need it. I dream of sitting in a home, in a safe place, with electricity and water 24/7. I dream of watching television with my children on a big screen, and having a job again.” This beautiful family is constantly on my mind and I know the same is true for many of you. They deeply appreciate your donations, which are life-giving and also a source of hope to be able to get through this and rebuild. Please keep thinking of them, praying for them, sharing their story, and donating if possible. Thank you from the bottom of my heart

This is Mahmoud’s story:

Hello everyone

I don't know where to start, but pray for us to stop this genocide before anything else.

I am Mahmoud Badawi ,35 years old, married, and have 4 children.

My wife, Walaa, is 32 years old.

My children:

Anas, 8 years , Zeina, 6 years

Adam, 4 years And my baby Celine, who was born less than a month before the war.

I graduated from the College of Engineering, Software Department, in 2012.

I tried to work on my degree several times, but I was not able to do so due to the lack of job opportunities.

I was forced to work at anything in response to the difficult requirements of life here in Gaza.

I established a small carpentry through which I was able to provide daily food and provide the minimum requirements of life for my wife and four children.

Until this war came, since the seventh of October, our lives stopped, and it took away our ambition and our simple dreams of living a decent life.

We were displaced repeatedly from our home in Gaza City, and we were ordered to move to the city of Rafah by force, where there is no shelter, food, or clear water.

We responded to this request out of fear for the lives of my children and my wife.

We have continued to suffer every day and every moment until now.

One day, in the middle of this genocide, I was informed that my small carpentry had been bombed, and my source of livelihood was taken away in an instant that I could not have imagined.

Only two days later, I was informed that my house had been bombed, a piece of news that struck me like a thunderbolt!

I did not believe it until I saw a picture of my small house being bombed, and that was the worst thing you can hear.

I lost everything I had in one moment

I am a man who used to spend my life at my work and providing the necessities of life for my children.

Now that I was dreaming of a beautiful life for my children, I no longer know what I am dreaming about!

Our lives stopped from that moment.

I created this campaign in the hope that people of humanity would help me rebuild my home in an effort to contain my children, provide a safe place for them after the war, and try to rebuild my small carpentry.

Seeing my children at this age without shelter breaks my heart, and it certainly breaks the heart of every person who has an ounce of humanity in his heart.

UPDATE:

Mahmoud and his family have received even more heartbreaking news. His second home has been bombed, his children have hepatitis A, and his sister, nephew, and niece were all martyred in a recent school shelter bombing.

ADDITIONALLY:

Mahmoud’s daughter is currently in recovery from a burn wound caused by a tent fire [pictured below]. Please help contribute to her treatment. 

Please, I ask you to unite and help me and my family. Every contribution, regardless of its size, contributes to a brighter and more secure future for me and my family.

God bless you.