Key Points
- Tickets for the whole family cost $85,000, which was raised entirely with community support.
- Six members of a family of 17 have arrived in Australia from the war-torn Gaza Strip.
- Canberra resident Nazia Ahmed played a special role in fundraising.
Canberra resident and economist Nazia Ahmed, who has Bangladeshi roots, said she learned of the family’s plight from her close friend and psychologist, Hana Zaarour.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Social Outcomes Lab, Ahmed said that while the family had secured visas to flee the northern Gaza Strip, they had been unable to finance flights.
“The six people who have (so far) come are on family-sponsored visas as tourists. The Lebanese community has arranged for them a furnished house, and clothing,” she said.
“All six members of the family who arrived in Australia are adults; no children came with them. However, there are six children among the remaining 11 people in that family,” she added.
Ahmed said, "Though everything (visa process) was ready for them but for us (required money) was delayed. A mosque paid the expenses of these six people as a loan, and we will return it from fundraising."
“The remaining 11 are expected to arrive soon. However, Egyptian government regulations require travel clearance for those travelling through Egypt with Palestinian passports. These passports are held by the Egyptian authorities, and it may take seven to 14 days to obtain this clearance.”
Ahmed said the group had so far not received any government assistance.
Canberra economist Nazia Ahmed launched a GoFundMe campaign to bring a Gaza family to Australia. Credit: Nazia Ahmed
“They might have died in there. But then they made it to Rafah, in a relatively safe way, and there a travel agent named Ya Hala arranged their flight, and it was through that agent that they arrived in Egypt. But for this, a large amount of funds was needed,” she said.
“After arriving in Egypt, they were granted visas at the Australian Embassy, and from there, six members of the family were able to come to Australia.”
To raise these funds, Ahmed appealed on GoFundMe. “Many people from the Bangladeshi community, especially Dr Shamaruh Mirza and her husband Dr Faham Abdus Salam, came forward and took to social media, and the money was collected within a few days.”
Many members of the Bangladeshi community, notably Dr Shamaruh Mirza and her husband Dr Faham Abdus Salam, stepped forward and took to social media to raise the necessary funds for the Gaza family to assist in their relocation to Australia. Credit: Dr Shamaruh Mirza
Psychologist Hana Zaarour, who first took the initiative to mobilise funds for the Palestinian family, said in a statement to SBS Bangla that since childhood, Palestine for me has been synonymous with oppression and the struggle for liberation.
"Recently the horrors inflicted on Gaza caused pain and a feeling of helplessness. Being given the privilege to do something, to help save a life allowed me to channel my emotions into a cause.
"More importantly knowing that the community both locally and internationally has come together to help one another has lifted my broken spirit. Even though evil makes the loudest noise there is much more goodness in this world.
"I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of all these family members and hope I can continue to find ways to help others."
The entire process required $85,000. They raised approximately $22,000 through GoFundMe.
To listen to the whole conversation in Bangla click the audio player above.
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