Urgent Aid for Muhammad's Family in Gaza

Hello everyone! My name is Madhura and I'm based out of Boston, MA. I am helping to raise funds for my friend Muhammad Abu Saqr and his family. Muhammad is currently in Belgium, while 8 members of his family are in Gaza.

I am in touch with Muhammad through his sisters, Mayada and Diana, who are stuck in Gaza. In the past few months, I've had the honor of getting to know their family. They have suffered immensely, are under constant bombardment from the occupation, and are struggling to access necessities such as food and water. All of the crossings into Gaza have been closed for months now, and virtually no aid is entering the strip. Additionally, due to the lack of nutritious food and clean water, health crises have continued to worsen, making daily life a major challenge. Their family has been suffering from numerous diseases and in dire need of evacuation.

Here is Muhammad's story in his own words:

Hello my friends, my name is Muhammad Abu Saqr from Gaza, I am 28 years old. I created a link to the donation campaign to help my family of 12 people in Gaza. I am from Gaza, currently in Belgium, and my family is still in Gaza. I left Gaza in 2020 due to the difficult situation in Gaza in search of a safe future for me and my family.

On October 7, 2024, the war broke out in Gaza. The Israeli army issued orders for displacement, and my family was displaced 5 times from one area to another. They suffered a lot in displacement and trying to provide at least an acceptable place. They were able, with great difficulty, to provide a tent to shelter them. They lack clean drinking water, which leads to severe stomach pain and diarrhea in children especially. The war and siege have made it difficult for them to obtain basic needs such as water and food. They are forced to wait in a long line for hours to obtain a little water, which is not enough to meet their daily needs. My family lost their home and their textile shops and were displaced to Rafah in search of a temporary safe shelter, but there is no safe place in Gaza.

We never imagined a life like this. We lost all our dreams and security in the blink of an eye. The war took our comfortable home full of memories and left them suffering on the hardwood floors in the cold. My father's back problems were exacerbated by sleeping on the floor and no access to painkillers. Your donation and sharing their story will greatly help them meet their basic needs for food, treatment, and necessities, as well as help cover their travel costs. I tried a lot and worked a lot trying to get my family out of Gaza, but I was unable to collect the required amount on my own, so I resorted to asking you for help. Thank you for your support and for listening to our story during this time.

At this current moment, exit/evacuation does not seem viable for Muhammad's family. However, the donation goal accounts for the potential cost of evacuation, in case this is something that might be possible in the future. Costs for crossing are typically $5,000 - $7,000 for one person alone, as reported by NPR. Because of this, the campaign has a starting goal of $40,000 to raise funds for the entire family's (8 people) evacuation fees.