A Palestinian Academic’s Plea in the Midst of War to Get Family out of Gaza

In the heart of Gaza’s turmoil, in the middle of the confusion of conflict, I am torn between my desire for knowledge and the dire need to protect my family from the horrors of war. As a Palestinian academic, now thoroughly embarked upon my Ph.D. in Hungary, every day is a fight against the odds, a nonstop effort to maintain a degree of normalcy in the middle of unbelievable hardship.

The suffering of my loved ones in the war in Gaza has brought a great deal of sorrow to us, thus, we are only left with bits and pieces of our life. A month ago, my wife, a brilliant teacher, lost her job making our burden weigh heavier. Their innocence has been lost in conflict with three young children: Adam, Yousuf, and Sara. Adam and Yousuf have been deprived of being educated for a whole year; they are children who would have spent a year to learn and develop in a protected place.

Our house, once a haven, is now nothing but debris; it is no longer suitable for living in due to the enduring tide of wrecking. My wife and children have been living with relatives for the last four months – displaced, disoriented and afraid in a world that has turned upside down. The ever-present fear, the horror of what will be tomorrow, throws the shadow over our every day, taking away the simple joys of life.

The ugly actualities of war stretch from the physical sphere and start to eat at us mentally. Day in, day out and restless sleep is filled with echoes of shots and the far away sound of explosions. In the mayhem, the privilege of accessing basic requirements has also been lost. Food that used to be abundant is now rare and highly priced. Healthy meals are forgotten, replaced by small supplies found in cans.

Water, which is the life-sustaining liquid now causes agony as taps go dry for days. Lack of hygiene further enhances my family’s vulnerability, exposing them to many health hazards. My children, who have been deprived of their innocence by the ghost of war, should not be treated as such. They should be making fun under the sun, not hiding from fear of what tomorrow holds.

However, even in the darkness, there is a ray of hope, a path to safety and security. The chance of fleeing away from wars, to seek a refuge in a land without war, is near. Yet, it is at a price – high, hard-to-pay cost we cannot pay on our own. This does not come without expenses; getting out of Gaza, the air ticket, accommodation, monthly daily living expenses and children school fees further add to the burden. It is the sum we cannot afford, a desire that becomes less and less attainable.

I ask you, reader, to listen to our cry, to be our aid in our time of set back. Your kindness could make it possible to anyone to leave despair behind and think of a future that is filled with hope. We can rewrite the story of pain together, making a ray of light in the dark night of war.

As an academic, as a father, as a Palestinian, I shall not subject myself to despair. To your backing, we shall construct a better day, free of the chains of war. May our voices meld in the chorus of empathy that resonates through boundaries of all types, reaching out from suffering to rescue.

Amidst the unceasing bombardments of war, let us dream of a world where peace is the sovereign, where children can laugh and play without fear, where no knowledge is off-limits. My family’s road might be thorny, yet with your support we will rise above them, one step at a time.

Thank you for hearing us out, for giving us a helping hand in our hour of need. May your goodness be magnified in multiples of a thousand, as we try to create a future that is the dreams of our children.

Note: for my family to go out from Gaza is essential but for them to get here in Hungary, it is of great importance to show the authorities that I am able to provide security for them including accommodation and monthly allowance to show enough funding that I can provide for a year.

For transparency, the following is the breakdown of expenses:

• Exist from Gaza to Cairo
  • Adults (1): My wife
    • Exit from Gaza: $5,000
  • Children (3): Adam, Yousuf, and Sara
    • Exit from Gaza: $7,500
• Stay in Cairo for documents and travelling to Hungary:
  • Accommodation in Cairo for visa papers (2 weeks): $1,000
  • Plane tickets from Cairo to Hungary (wife and 3 kids): $2,000
• Settlement expenses in Hungary
  • Accommodation in Hungary (1 year): $12,000
  • Monthly living expenses (1 year): $12,000
  • Education for Adam and Yousuf (language barriers with state schools speaking Hungarian): $4,000
• Grand Total: $5,000+ $7,500+ $1,000+ $2,000 + $12,000 + $12,000 + $4,000 = $43,500
• Please consider that any funds that that will not be spent on the family’s emergency moving will be given to Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF).