Since the 23rd September, almost 3000 innocent men, women and children and babies have been killed and thousands more wounded in Lebanon. One ophthalmic surgeon stated he had taken out more eyes in one day than in his whole career after the pager/walkie talkie bombs, and no amount of humans that queued up to offer their own eye balls were ever going to fix this.
Approximately 1.2 million people have been forced to leave their homes, their jobs, their belongings and their pets. They are sleeping on beaches, in their cars, on desks without blankets or mattresses. Hundreds have squashed into shelters without privacy for women or girls to go to the toilet and often without running water, increasing the risk of diseases e.g., cholera. As an occupational therapist, I am extremely concerned at the impact of the trauma, especially on children who speak of nothing but going back home (which they do not yet know have been levelled by air strikes in areas where Israeli media is already advertising luxury homes).
And THAT's just in Lebanon. Predictably, innocent civilians in Israel are now also at risk. Whilst the powers that be and most of the world looks away, people are being trapped, starved and 42,924 have been slaughtered in Gaza. People forced to live amongst the rot, rodents and the deceased having run out of coffins and shrouds to cover them. Well over 75% of the buildings have now been decimated. No signs of stopping until nothing remains.
Billions and billions of military aid from countries like US, UK and Germany is still pouring over to facilitate the killing and destruction. Lebanon, once the ‘Jewel of the Mediterranean’ (and the only place I have ever felt I truly belonged), is not bleak and grey as the media would have you believe. The cities are thriving multi-cultural cosmopolitan societies with roof top bars, restaurants, clubs, designer stores, and world class universities. They have rebuilt and rebuilt with steadfast mentality having endured many wars, but this time it's much worse as infrastructure was already extremely fragile.
Whatever you may think, or think you understand about Hamas, Hezbollah, Israel, muslims or 'under-developed' countries (I'm using inverted commas here as I don't see much advanced, developed, progressive thinking in so called 'developed countries' right now), ALL THE LIVES OF INNOCENT PEOPLE WITH HOPES AND DREAMS AND LOVE FOR THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS THEY ARE LOSING, MATTER. One life is no more important than another based on the context of where you happened to be born. 10 years ago Palestine was in the top 10 countries with the highest percentage of university and college educated citizens (UK didn't even feature then). What chance is there for any that remain now?
My cousin’s house and car and the house my family built in the South have now been destroyed and my cousin has just been killed (may he now be at peace). I have hundreds more family over there at risk. Hady, my cousin however, my own personal hero (though he would not care to admit this), continues to take life into his own hands to help people who have been forcibly displaced. He has turned an abandoned hotel into a sanctuary (of sorts) for around 500 families and is helping many others outside of this. Sometimes with a drone flying over his head not knowing if he will be targeted, he is working 12 hour shifts to provide them with food, water, medications, re-instating electricity supplies and just funded 1000 blankets from Syria. Here is some footage of what he has spent the money I previously raised on (deliberately non-graphic and non-distressing):
20 sec video of Hady helping a wheelchair user
Little Hassan just wanted to smell nice
The drone flying over Hady's head whilst sourcing supplies
The kids forgot about war for a minute
Little Noor gets her stitches out
I have been busy collecting blankets for Gaza and Lebanon as the cold and wet weather is exacerbating an already hideous situation. Humanitarian aid is an increasingly a problem e.g., ALL humanitarian aid, medical assistance and rescue services have ceased in Northern Gaza, and across the board, humanitarian aid workers, medics (even whilst performing surgery) and paramedics are being killed. I will not rest until I get them over, but I think a more practical approach is to try and raise some more funds for Hady so his team of support can buy these things directly. A large part of me doesn't want to put Hady in danger but we are both heavily drawn to helping and he said "if I die helping, then this is a good way to go", so there we are. Whatever world I will leave my son in, it will not be one where I stood by and did absolutely nothing or one where he hears his parents stood by and did nothing for his heritage and for humanity.
Money is tight these days, we know this. You don't have to donate money to do something though. You can easily google brands that are funding this genocide and reduce/stop buying from them (e.g., Macdonalds, Burger King, Coca Cola, Amazon, Puma, Sabra) or using them (Barclays, AXA), raise your children with love in their hearts for all people and encourage diversity in their friends/zero tolerance for bullying, ask questions of people who are affected and discuss it/try and understand it so this does not exist purely in the shadows where the media relies on the de-humanisation of people for this madness to go on.
Due to my proximity to the situation, I have no choice but be active. You all of course have an option. My question is, if we can show you where your money will go: can you help and will you help? No matter how small, it will/you can help until a resolution is found (inshalla). A life not lived for others is a life not lived.
Paypal: [email protected] (no transaction fees)
Bank transfer: Miss S Bacha 404767 05022428 (no transaction fees)
Or via crowdfunding (percentage taken and transaction fees
Love to you all and to all of your families always ✌🏽🕊️❤️🙏🏽🌍
Sam x