Hello, my name is Tareq El-Bawab, and I'm reaching out to you from Gaza, nine months after the war, where my family and I continue to face profound challenges. I work as a software engineer, and my wife, Areej, lovingly manages our home while caring for our two young children: Emad, who is one and a half years old, and our newborn daughter, Tala, born in April 2024 amidst the ongoing turmoil of war.

Life has become increasingly difficult here over the past nine months. The war has disrupted our daily lives and shattered our hopes for a peaceful future. In Gaza, we experience frequent power outages, relying on solar energy when available. Daily expenses for phone charging and lighting have become burdensome. Access to clean water for drinking and washing is a daily challenge. Food shortages persist due to the blockade, with canned goods as our main source when available. For our children, obtaining milk and diapers is particularly challenging. When possible, I buy large quantities to store for a month or two, but ongoing displacement limits storage capacity and escalates costs.

Alongside these hardships, I lost my job after the war, and the status of our new home is unknown to me, as I don't know whether it has been destroyed or not. Now, as we move around in southern Gaza, I struggle to provide basic necessities like food, water, and medical care for my children. What complicates matters further is that our new home is located in a dangerous combat zone, making it impossible for me to access or obtain information about it since the beginning of the war. Our savings are nearly depleted, and our current living conditions are unsafe.

Furthermore, hospitals have been severely damaged, and access to medical care for my children is scarce. Obtaining necessary medications is also difficult.

On top of all this, we face the daily challenge of cooking without gas. We cook every day over wood fires, which consumes a significant amount of time for both myself and my wife, reducing the time we can spend caring for our children. Every day, I have to fetch water for washing, bathing, and drinking, as well as wood for cooking, often standing in long queues. Sometimes, water is not available or unfit for drinking.

I appeal to you earnestly for any assistance you can provide. Your support can help us leave Gaza, find a safe place for my family, and stabilize our situation until I can find employment to support my family as I did before.

How Your Donation Will Be Used

We are seeking to raise $30,000 to ensure the safety and stability of my family. Here’s how your donations will be utilized:

$15,000 will go towards coordinating our travel and covering the governmental coordination fees for crossing the border:

Securing a Home - $5,000

Essential Items and Support - $10,000

After deducting GoFundMe's fees, which typically amount to around 2.9% plus $0.30 per donation, the remaining funds will be used as follows:

Your generous donations will not only provide us with immediate relief but also give us the foundation we need to start anew and rebuild our lives after this devastating experience. Your kindness and compassion mean the world to us during this difficult time. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

How We Will Receive the Funds

A family friend in Germany will receive the funds and send them to Egypt to cover the costs of coordinating our travel with the Egyptian government. This ensures we can navigate the complex and costly procedures needed to leave Gaza and find safety in Egypt.

Every donation, no matter how small, will have a profound impact on our lives. It will help save my children's lives and give us a chance to start anew in a safer place. Your generosity and kindness mean the world to us, and I promise to keep in touch with everyone who helps us along the way.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone willing to help us. Your support gives us hope in our darkest hours.

With deepest gratitude.