Cork-based scientist launches €70k appeal to help family flee Gaza

A CUH-based research scientist is desperately appealing for help as he fights to save his family’s lives just months after their childhood home was bombed in Gaza.

Ahmad Mahdi, who lives in Cork city and works in a cancer research role at Cork University Hospital, has set up a GoFundMe in the hope of raising €70,000 to help his family flee their home country.

The 28-year-old fought back tears as he described how his two first cousins were killed at the family’s privately-run facility, the Mahdi Maternity Hospital.

He added that 12 of his close friends have also been lost to the merciless attacks.

“My first cousins were gynaecologists and they were killed as they sheltered at our family’s privately-run maternity hospital,” Ahmad said.

“They bombed the whole hospital and one of my cousin’s family was killed with him.

“What makes it so painful is that the hospital was surrounded by tanks.

“I was sharing online and we were pleading for the Red Cross and any other international organisation we could think of to intervene and evacuate them,” he said.

“For a whole day we shared these posts. That was on November 11.

“On November 12 the whole hospital was bombed.”

Ahmad is hoping to raise enough funds to bring his father Hani, aged 62, mother Samia, 56, sister Haya, 34, and her husband Mohammed, 38, along with their children Judy, 9, Kenzi, 8, and Karim, 3, to Cork.

He also hopes to be reunited with his brother Abdallah, 31, and his wife Reem, 26, and their children (one year old Hani Jnr), as well as with his 23-year-old brother Ibrahim.

His 18-year-old sister Rania would also travel to Cork with the group if the fundraiser proves successful.

Ahmad explained that special permission from the Egyptian government, which involves a payment of €8,000 per person, is currently their only way out of the country.

He said that while the payment might be exploitative it could mean the difference between life and death for his family.

“Unfortunately, people are looking to profit from this humanitarian crisis,” he said.

“The reality is very exploitative. It just looks so ugly and it’s ugly to me. However, I’m just so desperate for my family. I want them to be safe. I need them to be safe.

“This has been going on for three months and I don’t see any hope. I don’t know when and how it’s going to end.”

He described how their family home was bombed shortly after the war began.

“Our house was bombed twice. The first time was 10 days after the war started,” he said.

“It was so heartbreaking, but my main concern now is for my family’s safety.

“We grew up in that house. Now, everything has been burnt into oblivion.”

He described the pain of being away from his family.

“The helplessness is what kills me every day. I don’t want to be away from them if anything happens.

“If I can’t get them over here I would rather die with my family in Gaza.”

Ahmad said he speaks with his family as often as is possible.

“I can’t get hold of my family every day because they have to walk for 30 minutes just to get internet access,” he said.

“We can’t speak for long. They try to tell me they are ok and that there are others who are worse off. The last thing they want is to worry me.”

Almost €18,000 of Ahmad’s €70,000 target had been raised online as of Wednesday this week.

You can donate here.