Setting up a go fund me for a Palestinian child

[sadsister23]

Does anyone know how to do this? The child in question has had his arm amputated and desperately needs to travel for treatment but it will cost £10000 for him and his mother to leave Gaza. He has an international bank account but this is not listed as accepted on the go fund me website. Does anyone know a solution to this?

Red Cross/Red Crescent, Doctors without Borders, InterPal might be able to advise? I'm not sure what's allowed and what's not in relation to gofundme things, but they're organisations with a lot of experience in the region.

I know it's not your question but I didn't think anyone was allowed to leave Gaza at this time.

Are you sure it isn't one of those scams? An international charity would have the financial and political reach to help this child more, try them first.

LittleGreenDragon could be right, but there may be people taking bribes at the Egyptian border to get Gazans through, so perhaps some of the money would be to pay for that.

“Palestinians desperate to leave Gaza are paying bribes to brokers of up to $10,000 (£7,850) to help them exit the territory through Egypt, according to a Guardian investigation”
8 Jan 2024
www.theguardian.com › jan

@Scirocco thank you, none of those organisations is getting back to me at present so i thought I'd ask on here. They are probably inundated with enquiries.

@LittleGreenDragons it's not a scam, this child
Is being supported by Gaza Kinder Relief but they have been unable to evacuate him and he is getting worse so I thought I'd try something - probably a silly idea really but I just so desperately want to help.

You can leave Gaza for pice, I read
it’s somewhere like $8k per person

@sadsister23 Have you tried posting it to twitter? If you use Palestine related tags hopefully the right people will see it and be able to help. Worth a try at least.

Hi @sadsister23 I’ve some friends who managed to transfer money to their family directly in Gaza via Western Union. They are not in the UK but it could be worth checking with your local WU if that could work ? You could also try contacting the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF). They’re a very well established and reputable charity who work in getting medical care for Palestinian kids in need - usually they take their patients to the US for treatment. Their founder is Steve Sosbee.

It’s horrific that this “war” has resulted in so many cases like this. Thousands of children maimed and orphaned in addition to those having to leave “voluntarily” because Israel has now made Gaza uninhabitable. You’re a good person trying to help this child. I hope you find a solution.

@sadsister23 i’m about to pm you

@Desertrose2023 I don't know anything about WU, but I will look into it - thank you. I have contacted PCRF, along with other charities, a number of times with no response so I'm really at a loss now.

@racoonsinbins thank you, I am out and about at the moment so currently using mumsnet on the app where you can't see messages but I will read your message on my laptop later and reply.

@sadsister23 @Desertrose2023 based on my experience from the UK WU will only allow you to send money to Gaza as cash to be picked up (i.e. not transfered to a bank account) and there are very few points for pick up and none in Rafah- my guess is that many are not operational (i.e. they listed some in Khan Younis)

As well as helping that child, if you are interested in continuing to support children there is a charity in the U.K. who would welcome your ongoing support -

www.facebook.com/reachcharity

'Helping children with upper limb differences live life without limits'

@sadsister23 inara.org might be able to help. They have teamed up with Gaza kinder relief before to help evacuate and treated injured children from Gaza.

I would find a registered charity that can help, and ensure that any funds raised are paid to that charity rather than to an individual bank account.

Rightly or wrongly, I wouldn't donate to an individual account as I wouldn't have any means if knowing whether the case was genuine.

If there is a trustworthy organisation on the ground already helping him, perhaps they could receive any donations on his behalf?

@MrsBennetsPoorNerves I have donated to these charities but no one has been able to support the boy in question. Someone has now set up a go fund me and she is legit - I have spoken to her and she explains everything on the go fund me page. I tried to post a link to it here but mumsnet has hidden it

I think you are allowed to give a few clues as to how a person reading can find the Go Fund Me in question.

Well, it's fair enough for you to give to whoever you choose.

I'm just saying that, personally, I wouldn't trust a random stranger on the Internet telling me that this was legit, so if you're hoping that others will donate, then you probably need to go through some sort of agency with a level of accountability.

I can't imagine that MNHQ will allow a link for a fundraising campaign going to someone's private bank account. Anyone could set up something like that.

It's great that you want to help this child. I'm just saying that you'll have more success if you do it through reliable and verifiable channels.

@MrsBennetsPoorNerves yes I do understand that. I have tried to go through official channels though and I am getting nowhere so I feel that this is the only option now. I do understand it's not ideal.

Is there a reason why none of the agencies currently in contact with this child wouldn't be prepared to receive any funds raised to help him?

@MrsBennetsPoorNerves I don't know - none of them are replying to me so there's nothing else I can do but support the go fund me