Newsletter from Gaza - October 2025 |
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An important day is coming up for me - my birthday J More about this below. |
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As the world marks the second anniversary of the escalations in Gaza, we are happy to share some hopeful news with you: our new website is now live and ready for you to explore. You can visit the website at https://healingforhumanity.world/. We hope you find it interesting, |
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It’s been a difficult month since I last wrote.
Just days after the last newsletter, based on the expressed evacuation
orders, the attacks in Northern Gaza became so frequent that Mohammad
and Mahmoud needed to leave urgently. But even leaving is not as simple
as it sounds. Families need money to buy a tent, which cost about 1000
USD for a 4 x 8 m tent; find space in a bus and pay for transportation
(approximately 900 USD per family), secure a space for the tent and be
able to “pay rent” (depending how favorable the space is between 170 and
900 USD per month) in small areas where people are crowded together. In September, we urgently needed 3815 Euro ( approx. 4475 USD)
to enable Mohammad and Mahmoud to buy tents for their families and to
support Sami’s sister in receiving the medicine she urgently needs. Thank you to all who donated! We received a total of 2136 Euro (approx. 2500 USD), which helped us a lot. As it was a month of urgency, Iyad and I chipped in the rest, and we were able to help. |
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Transferring
money into Gaza within a day was not an easy task. Fortunately, by now I
have established a secure and the “cheapest“ way for doing so—if one
can call it that. In addition to the cash needed, 9% bank agent fees
must be added, as well as a 35% commission to convert the digital money
into cash in Gaza. What
was most amazing in the last weeks was the level of care and solidarity
I witnessed. While I am in daily contact with Sami, Mohammad, Mahmoud,
and Darin, they didn’t know each other. Sami, who lives in the South of
Gaza, regularly researched trends in tent prices and possible locations
to pitch them for me, so we would be prepared for the time when friends
from the north would have to leave. When the day came, I connected Sami
with Mohammad, and they explored possibilities for bringing a tent from
the south to the north (which didn’t work out). I
had marked everyone’s location on the map months ago and knew that
Mohammad and Mahmoud were close to each other. In preparation for
evacuations, I connected them, and they supported each other, along with
their families, through the days as they tried to find transportation,
evacuated on a bus, searched for tent spaces, and pitched their tents
quite close to each other. The evacuation order also affected the
location of Darin’s home. And again- everyone stepped up, this time for
her. Sami checked out the tents and offered to come to the north to help
Darin pitch them. Mohammad and Mahmoud checked out places where Darin
and her family could set up the tent. For now, Darin didn't evacuate,
but when the day comes, she has friends on her side. |
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Additionally,
Sami needed urgent support for his sister. The 6-year-old needs
antibiotics every few weeks. This would not be a problem in a country
with good medical supplies; however, in Gaza, aid has not been allowed
in. This drives prices up, making it a day-long journey to find the
medicine, and risks the life of an innocent little, beautiful girl.
The
situation in Gaza worsened in recent weeks, which is hard to fathom
given two years of relentless bombardment, the famine declaration on 22
August 2025, and the UN Independent International Commission of
Inquiry's 16 Sept 2025 assessment of genocide. Now, an estimated 175
bombs drop daily on a population mostly living in tents or without
shelter, where many are underweight, exhausted, and deeply traumatized.
The healthcare system is on the verge of collapse, with many hospitals
either not functioning or operating at only partial capacity. Currently,
Al Shifa Hospital remains in the center of the attacks, surrounded by
tanks, with snipers killing health care workers during their duty.
As
a medical doctor myself, I can not comprehend how anyone can attack and
bomb healthcare facilities, patients, and medical personnel. In
addition to the human component, it's also a crime according to the
Geneva Conventions, which were signed by 196 member states in 1948.
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Yes, my birthday is coming up. It is a significant day for me every year. | As
a child, my mother taught me not only to celebrate my friends’
birthdays, but also to thank their mothers for giving them life. For
that, she equipped me with a rose, which I handed over to my friend’s
mothers. As I grew older, this little gesture also became a tradition
with my mother on my birthday. |
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After
studying medicine and specialising in Obstetrics / Gynaecology, I
conducted numerous deliveries, especially those that required surgical
and medical interventions.
It
was not until I worked with Doctors Without Borders in fragile post-war
Sierra Leone that I experienced the heart-wrenching tragedies of a
broken healthcare system, when I experienced for the first time in my
life a woman dying in my hands during childbirth. Just like the other
doctors before me, I was unable to save every woman and every newborn,
which, for a medical doctor, is an existential crisis. Since then, I
celebrate life more than ever before. I know firsthand the blessing of
both mother and baby surviving, and I have experienced the miracles of
the baby’s first breath and the remarkable physical resilience of many
mothers.
I celebrate life- and don’t kill any living being consciously, not even a mosquito.
I would like to invite you to celebrate my birthday with me:
| My birthday is on 7 October. |
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In 2023, this day has become a symbol for all sides, a day of remembrance of pain. For
the Palestinian people, 7 October marks the anniversary of the
escalation of unimaginable attacks to turn into the first live-streamed
genocide in the history of humankind. Also, for people outside Gaza, the
day has significance, as witnessing this level of atrocities has
traumatized millions of us, who value compassion and unity in
diversity. It
has taken me a long time to come to terms with the synchronicity that
the date when I celebrated life the most had turned into this symbol of
one of the deadliest and most brutal chapters in modern history.
Certainly, all of us are aware that nothing related to this conflict
actually began on 7 October, but rather is a consequence of the last
80-plus years. I started the initiative Healing for Humanity.world
because I refuse to accept living in a world where we don’t care for
each other, where international law and human rights are misused, and
where humanity is under threat. I would like to invite you to celebrate my birthday with me. Please
bring back the magic to that day, the honour towards life, the
celebration of the miracle of the first breath, and the wonder of the
heartbeat. Let’s savour the uniqueness of everyone on this planet, and
be inspired by the differences between us. |
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Please donate: This
month, please consider again providing financial support. The friends
in Gaza need us to survive; they require food, drinking water, and
medicine, all of which are expensive. Additionally, they also incur
study fees and expenses.
There is one additional project that I would like to bring to your attention.
| Fixing the broken solar power device in Sami’s community. |
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The
device that converts solar power into electricity enables the operation
of a pump that extracts water from a deep well, supplying drinking
water to 67 families (approximately 670 individuals). Sami, a
solution-finder, has already gone around the community and tried to
collect the necessary funds for the repair of this 3-kilowatt device.
However, all people there live in tents, have been displaced several
times in the past 2 years, and no one has a job. Sami was only able to
gather 20 Shekels (approximately 6 USD) each from 50 families, which
resulted in 1,000 shekels (approximately 300 USD). An additional 4000 -
5000 Shekel (1200 to 1500 USD) is needed to fix or replace the
malfunctioning solar card, and repair the power output port.
As
the water pump is not working, the 670 people of the community must
walk 500 meters to fetch salty water from the sea. Not everyone,
however, has the energy to carry heavy water for so long.
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In
September, the United Nations marked its 80th anniversary, and eyes
were focused on the outcomes of the General Assembly, including UN
Security Council meetings. The stakes were high, as Human Rights,
International Law, and the need for multilateral collaboration had to be
defended. I would have liked to see more leadership for peace, greater
clarity on standing up for values, and more solidarity for every single
human whose rights are violated.
It would have been desirable to see actions, and not just words.
Its on us, the people.
Let's stand up for humanity! Our support and voices save lives.
We are the millions!
And we can make the change.
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| | Donation options: Europe, including Turkiye (papara) not in Switzerland. | | | Worldwide, via Paypal, to admin@healingforhumanity.world | | | Worldwide, via Direct Transfer (additional costs may apply) | Iyad Kaddoura Account Number: NL25 BUNQ 2156 3667 48 BIC: BUNQNL2A If
you would like to donate to a specific person, please include their
name in the subject line. Otherwise, I will distribute the money
according to individual needs
You can also use the button below. | | |
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This
newsletter is published in English, German and Dutch. Please subscribe
to the newsletter, mention the language(s) you would like to receive, or
contact Luna at Luna@healingforhumanity.world | | |
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Dr. Luna Mehrain supported by: Felix van Loon (IT) Iyad Kaddoura (Finance) |
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