I am collecting donations for my brother Mohammed, who is 27 years old, and for the rest of our family in Gaza. They are facing extreme hardship every single day. What they are going through is not just a difficult period — it is a constant fight for safety, food, dignity, and hope. The war has taken everything from them. My brother Mohammed was born and raised in Gaza. In his 27 years of life, he has already lived through five wars. Even with all of that, he always tried to build a good life for himself and for the people he loves. He completed his university education, earned two degrees, and was close to finishing his master’s degree when the war began. Because of his passion for cooking, Mohammed traveled to Malaysia hoping to find a better opportunity in life. He returned to Gaza only a few weeks before the war started again, and he was blessed with a child. Like any young man, he had simple dreams: to live in peace, to build a home, to raise his child in safety, and to give his family a better future. Instead, everything collapsed. Shortly after his return, the home he had built through years of effort and sacrifice was completely destroyed. During the same period, the mother of his child was seriously injured, and our father became very ill. From that moment on, survival became the only goal. For the first time in their lives, my family was forced to flee. They lost their home, their belongings, their stability, and the life they had spent years trying to build. For nearly two years, they lived in a United Nations school under extremely harsh conditions. Food was scarce, the most basic needs were difficult to find, and they lived in overcrowded spaces with very poor sanitation. There was no privacy, no comfort, and no real sense of safety. They were living day by day, trying only to endure. My family in Gaza includes: my brother Mohammed our father Ibrahim our mother Hanan our brother Mahmoud our sister Mai Mahmoud’s wife and four very young children: Salma, 3 years old Taha, 2 years old Mustafa, 1.5 years old baby Ibrahim, 7 months old These are not just names on a page. They are real people — children, parents, and siblings — trying to survive in conditions no family should ever have to endure. Right now, their most immediate need is help with the basics of daily life: food, fuel, wood, electricity, a generator, and a refrigerator. Even the simplest necessities have become incredibly expensive because of the war and severe shortages. Something as basic as a refrigerator can now cost around $5,000. Their second urgent need is evacuation. The average evacuation cost is around $7,000 per person, which is far beyond what my family can afford. For them, this is not just about relocation — it is about survival, safety, and the chance to live without constant fear. Before the war, my family lived a modest and peaceful life. They were not asking for much — only stability, dignity, and the chance to work hard for a better future. Today, they are living through hunger, fear, illness, displacement, and deep uncertainty. The children deserve safety. My parents deserve medical care and rest. My brother deserves the chance to protect his child and rebuild his life. Because my family cannot safely receive donations directly from Gaza, I am the person managing and receiving the donations on their behalf. My name is Ahmed Barghout, and I am Mohammed’s older brother. I live in Belgium and am doing everything I can from here to support my family and help them survive this devastating time. Every donation, no matter how small, can make a real difference. It can help provide food, warmth, electricity, basic supplies, and, we hope, a path to safety. And if you are unable to donate, sharing this campaign would also mean a great deal to us. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading our story, for caring, and for standing with my family during one of the darkest times of our lives.
