An Urgent Appeal from Gaza: The Story of Faraj Abu Aoudeh’s Family
I am Faraj Abuodeh, a father to a newborn child whom I have not yet seen or held due to undergoing cancer treatment outside Gaza. While I battle my illness, my family endures an unimaginable humanitarian crisis.
My family was displaced from Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza after our five-story home was destroyed. We sought refuge in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, but the suffering did not end there. Just two months after our displacement, my father was martyred, adding to our pain and sorrow.
My large family consists of 50 members, including my married siblings, their children, and my married sisters with their husbands. We are all living together in makeshift tents that provide no protection from the harsh cold of winter or the scorching summer heat.
Among us are 13 young children who desperately need milk and diapers, but we are struggling to provide them due to a severe lack of resources. The family faces hunger daily, often surviving on nothing but thyme and dried herbs, which has led to a deterioration in our health. Today, my sister was admitted to the hospital due to infections caused by consuming unhealthy food.
My 54-year-old mother suffers from high blood pressure and heart disease. For months now, she has been unable to walk due to a cartilage problem and urgently requires medical care and surgery, but the dire circumstances prevent us from seeking proper treatment.
Our urgent and essential needs today include:
Nutritious food and clean water for all family members.
Milk and diapers for the young children.
Winter clothes and warm blankets to protect us from the severe cold.
Tents and tarpaulins to improve our temporary living conditions.
Cooking utensils and gas for heating and preparing meals.
Basic medicines and medical supplies for the sick and injured.
Solar-powered lighting due to the constant power outages.
Hygiene supplies to prevent the spread of diseases in these unsanitary conditions.
I call upon people of goodwill and humanitarian organizations to lend a helping hand to my family, which is facing hunger, cold, and a slow death. Gaza is crying out for help, and my family is just one of many enduring unimaginable hardships.
https://gofund.me/c0774e2f