From Grief to Survival: A Mother’s Plea from Rafah

From Grief to Survival: A Mother’s Plea from Rafah

My name is Rania Akram, and I’m a mother of five from Rafah, Gaza. Life as we knew it ended when the war reached our doorstep. I was forced to flee with my children — Ahmad (16), Yasser (15), Majd (10), and my twin daughters, Jouri and Jannat (8) — to the middle area of Gaza. We returned to Rafah just before the last truce, hoping to find safety and begin again.

But winter came, and we had nothing.

No blankets. No warm clothes. My son Yasser couldn’t bear watching his little sisters shiver without a cover. He decided to go back to our home to try and bring something warm.

But he never made it.

As he approached our house, a drone targeted him with a missile. My brave boy, just 15 years old, was killed instantly. 💔 May God have mercy on his soul and grant him paradise.

We returned to our neighbourhood during the truce, only to find everything gone. The entire six-story building — our home — was reduced to rubble. We had nothing to return to. Nothing to rebuild.

Now, we are six instead of seven.

But the pain does not end with loss. My twin daughters, Jouri and Jannat, suffer from a serious neurological condition. They experience repeated seizures and urgently need ongoing medical care and treatment. I, too, suffer from thyroid issues and have medical reports confirming my condition. We are living in a tent, in the middle of a crowded camp, with barely any food or medicine.

I’m sharing my story with you not for pity, but for hope. I need your support to help my daughters survive and to keep my remaining children fed and safe.

Your donation can help us:

🍲 Provide food for my children
💊 Buy medicine and treatment for Jouri and Jannat’s epilepsy
🏕️ Improve our tent conditions to protect from heat and illness
🧣 Provide clothing and blankets to prepare for the next winter
🕊️ Help us begin to rebuild our lives after losing Yasser
📝 Cover transportation for medical care and basic living needs

Even a small act of kindness can be a lifeline for a mother who has lost her son and is fighting to protect her daughters.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart,
Rania Akram