I have created this GoFundMe campaign to help a friend’s family leave Gaza. As you will see from their story below, they did not want to leave, unsure if they will be able to return, but they do not see a way forward. Paying payments on a home too destroyed to live in, no foreseeable future for their children.

Please share this campaign with your networks. As you may imagine, my network is inundated with campaigns for other families in the same situation. I would like to raise these funds and get Soud and his family to safety as soon as possible. Please give what you can and share with others.

Soud’s story:

My name is Soud. I am 36 years old and I am writing to you from Gaza. I am married and have 4 children, Cinada (10 years old), Mohammad (9), Carmel (6) and Kayan (3).

Before the war, we were living in good condition. My wife and I were able to build an apartment in installments and we took responsibility for raising and educating our children. My apartment, which I am still paying off in installments, was damaged as an effect of destroying the neighboring homes. It is unlivable now with no way to know when and how we will be able to fix it. We dreamed of living a life in it, building a future for our family away from pain and suffering.

The war came and changed all of this.

We found ourselves outside the home that brought us together. We were displaced to Rafah after being displaced three times where there is tragedy and pain.

Despite facing many challenges and miraculously escaping bombing more than once, I tried to stay here in Gaza and persevere here. What made things more difficult was the displacement and the lack of a place for me, my wife and my children. We don’t have a home to go back to. Our fear began to increase, and more than that, my daughter, Carmel, no longer sleeps. At 6 years old she began to imagine the fear and the bullets until she started telling me, “Daddy, I don’t know how to sleep. I imagine the bombing. I am in pain and I cannot sleep.” She can only sleep next to me for fear of being destroyed.

She asks me, “Tell me, Baba, when can you stop the war and take us away from the bombing, and where can we go?” Unfortunately, I am no longer able to answer Carmel. Moving from Gaza to Egypt requires a large sum, and the obligations we have at home are greater.

I devoted my months during the war to volunteer work in UNRWA shelters, helping more than 40,000 displaced Palestinians.

This resilience is inspiring, but the constant threats of violence and harsh living conditions have taken a toll on my family, especially my children who are suffering from trauma.

The request:

Today, we are reaching out to our global community, asking for your support to raise enough funds to help in evacuating my family during this difficult time.

Your generous donation will help cover the costs of travel arrangements and initial resettlement expenses.

Every contribution, no matter how small, plays an important role in facilitating my journey to safety and stability. As you may know it costs somewhere between $5-12 thousand per person to leave Gaza through the Rafah crossing. The money raised here will help pay for my family's safe passage to Egypt. I hope for your help in protecting myself and my family, as we have survived time and time again.

Time is of the essence, we don’t know how much longer we will survive this war.

Your cooperation and support will be appreciated