Help Us Evacuate From Gaza

I'm Melissa and this is the AbuAisha family from Gaza City. Parents Abd Alellah and Amal and their children Mohammed, Ahmed, Mahmoud and Noor. They are dear, dear friends of mine that I love and worry about every single moment of every single day.

The family has lost everything they own and their needs are great. Right now we're raising funds in preparation for the family's evacuation. They will also need help with the reconstruction of their home and replacement of clothing, furnishings and housewares with any extra monies raised, going into an education fund. Every single higher education institution in Gaza has been destroyed or severely damaged and I am committed to helping all the AbuAisha children receive the education they have worked so hard for and rightfully deserve, an education that has been stolen from them. The situation in Gaza is changing constantly so funds will be allocated to wherever they are most urgently needed by the family.

Currently, half the family is sheltering in Rafah, along the southernmost border with 1.9 million surviving Gazan citizens. The other half of the family is in Egypt and Jordan. Noor is in her first year of university with no home to return to and Abd and Mahmoud have been stranded in Cairo since October. The family has been displaced and separated from each other for the past 100+ days which has been incredibly stressful and painful for them all.

For Amal, Mohammed and Ahmed, the family members in Gaza, the situation is dire. Like most Gazans they had to flee their home with nothing more than their passports, blankets and the clothes on their back. Since then, 70% of their home has been destroyed and it's uninhabitable. The surrounding neighborhood has been severely impacted and much of it is gone now too. In Rafah, there is little food and two family members are currently ill. It’s winter in Gaza and they are without adequate warm clothing and there is no heat. They are sheltering in a 14’ x 14’ classroom with 7 more extended family members, bringing the total to 10 people in this small space. They all share one meal a day.

Prior to the conflict Ahmed and Mahmoud were both working in Gaza City and preparing to apply to graduate schools to study Humanitarian Action & Peace Building and Human Rights Law, respectively. The eldest, Mohammed had just finished his internships and was a few months away from starting a career in medicine. Amal has been the director of the Women’s Affair Center for many years where she works to raise awareness among Palestinian women about their social, economic, and political rights. She is deeply devoted to her work and the people of Gaza. Abd is a cabinet maker whose beautiful handiwork could be found in both commercial spaces and private homes throughout Gaza City, now destroyed.

Despite the violence and incredibly dangerous situation throughout Gaza, both Amal and Ahmed have continued their aid work over the past several months providing enrichment and therapeutic services to children, helping desperate Gazans find shelter and distributing food and basic necessities as it becomes available. Mohammed serves alongside heroic and exhausted medical staff in the hospitals. This is a family who has dedicated their lives to education, peace and the betterment of others even under the most challenging situations. It’s time for others to give something back to them.

Through a private contact we have secured just enough funds to evacuate one family member and we hope he will be arriving in Cairo within the week. Amal will not leave without her extended family despite growing concerns for everyone's safety in Rafah right now. As the situation in Rafah worsens, we are all hoping the family remains safe and we can raise enough funds to offer evacuation as an option for all.

Like all Gazans, the AbuAisha’s have lost family members, friends, colleagues and neighbors. They have lost cherished family heirlooms and photos. Their hopes and plans for the future have been shattered and the loss and pain they, and all Gazans are experiencing right now, is unimaginable. At the moment there is no end in sight from the violence.

My home, my pictures, the place I work, my beautiful memories are gone…

Providing funding for safe passage and easing some of their imminent and overwhelming financial burdens is something all of us can do to help today. It gives them hope for the future and lets them know they are not alone. Please make a donation right now. Time is of the essence.