Urgent Aid Needed for Younis' Family in Gaza

We (Jim Feldman and Ellen Tichenor) are reaching out to you from Philadelphia on behalf of a young man from Gaza who has become dear to us. Jim met Younis almost two years ago through his work as a mentor in We Are Not Numbers, a non-profit that helps young Gazans write about their lives for English speakers around the world. Thanks to a GoFundMe campaign that many of you contributed to, and the work of Ellen and other We Are Not Numbers mentors, Younis was among a number of students from Gaza to receive full scholarships to complete their educations in other countries. As many of you may know, no one is able to complete their education in Gaza since every university there has been destroyed. Once he graduates, Younis hopes to continue his studies in a field that will allow him to earn enough money to help support his family members, who are suffering.

At Younis’ request, we created this GoFundMe campaign to raise enough money for his family to survive in Gaza and, when possible, to leave Gaza for medical care.

Younis’ 46-year-old mother has a worsening heart condition that requires surgery. Because Israel has completely destroyed Gaza’s medical system, she cannot get the care she needs. His 56-year-old father suffers from debilitating back pain. They, along with his brother (30 years old) and two sisters (aged 17 and 24) currently live in North Gaza in the shell that is left of their home after multiple bombings and several displacements. Younis wants to help them evacuate to Egypt as soon as that becomes possible. Once his mother gets to Egypt, the surgery she requires will cost $5,000. If and when Egypt opens its border to Gaza, it can cost thousands of dollars per person just to receive permission to go there—a country in which they are not allowed to work, let alone pay Egypt’s usurious housing prices.

Younis’ family’s urgently needs money to survive while they are in Gaza. Food prices are sky high there—even for people who still have any money. People in the U.S. complain about the price of eggs. In Gaza, a dozen eggs cost $43. Flour costs over $550 for a 120 lb. sack; rice is $10/lb. A can of chickpeas, which is what most people live on, can cost more than $3.50, which is out of reach for people totally without money. While these are high prices even for working people in the U.S., no one in Gaza has a job. Younis’ family, like most people in Gaza, have depleted their savings; their lives depend on money sent to them from family and friends in other countries, or from GoFundMe campaigns like this one.

More than 90% of families in Gaza lack essential resources. Together we can help Younis’ family. Please give what you can. We will update this GFM page periodically to let you know how his family is doing and to communicate any message they may ask us to send to you.

While most of Gaza’s infrastructure is in ruins, it is still possible to wire money to the Bank of Palestine. In early July 2025, Younis’ family received the $1000 I wired them from my GFM bank account.

Thank you for whatever you can give.

The photos below are, from left to right,