#helprefugees

Dear Friends and Supporters,

I write to you with a heart heavy with pain and urgency. My name is Mohammad Jamal Shamia, and I reside in Sweden. I am raising funds to help my family and loved ones, who are trapped in Gaza, escape the unimaginable horrors of war. Their lives have been turned upside down, and now they stand on the brink of despair, with no place to call home and no future in sight. We are fighting for their survival.

A Family Torn Apart by War

My family consists of eight members: my father, my mother, my four sisters, and my two brothers. Each one of them has a story of pain and loss, but I will start with my father, Jamal Shamia, who is still in Gaza. His home was destroyed in the very first days of the war. A single rocket shattered not just his home, but also our hopes and dreams. The life he had worked so hard to build was reduced to rubble in a heartbeat. He now stands without a roof over his head, in a place where there is no security, no peace, and no hope for the future.

My mother, who left Gaza for surgery in Egypt before the war started, is now stranded on the Egyptian side, unable to return and without any support. She worries every day about my father, her children, and grandchildren who remain in Gaza, not knowing if they will survive another day.

Sisters in Crisis: Homes Lost, Lives Disrupted

My sister Rasha Jamal Shamia and her husband, Khalil Abu Samaan, have two children, Mira and Omar. They have been forced to flee their home in Gaza City and are now living in a tent in Rafah, far from everything they once knew. Their home, their children’s education, and their future—everything is gone. Their days are filled with fear, and their nights bring no rest. The constant sound of bombs haunts them, and they have no way to provide their children with the life they deserve.

My sister Rana Jamal Shamia and her husband, Mohammed Salama, are in a similarly desperate situation. Their two children, Amir and Taim, witnessed the destruction of their home firsthand. The bomb that took away their shelter also left Rana and her family with deep physical and emotional scars. They are now displaced in Rafah, struggling every day to survive. The trauma they have endured is unimaginable.

My sister Maram Jamal Shamia and her husband, Mareed Al-Suwirki, were able to leave Gaza with their children, but they carry with them the scars of war. Their home in Gaza was destroyed, and they lost everything. Mareed, a dentist, lost his job, and they are now trying to rebuild their lives outside the war zone, but they need your help.

My youngest sister, Reem, has been living outside Gaza for some time, but she hasn’t been able to reunite with the family. The pain of separation and worry for her loved ones has been unbearable.

A Brother’s Dreams Shattered

My brother Ahmad Jamal Shamia is a bright, ambitious student who was in his third year of dental school at Al-Azhar University in Gaza. The war took everything from him—his education, his home, his dreams. Ahmad was ranked first in his class, always striving to be the best and help others. Now, he is left with nothing. He moves from one temporary shelter to another, hoping for a chance to continue his studies in Egypt. But without financial support, this dream too will be lost.

The Desperate Situation

The situation in Gaza is beyond dire. Every day, my family faces unimaginable hardships. They live in constant fear, with bombings happening around them day and night. They are without basic necessities—no reliable access to food, water, or medical care. The trauma of living through this horror has left deep emotional wounds that will take years to heal, if ever.

We are desperate to get them out. We want to transport them to Egypt, where they can begin to rebuild their lives and find safety. But this escape comes at a high cost. It will take $5,000 per adult and $2,500 per child to cross the border and start anew in Egypt. My family is counting on this fundraising effort to save their lives.

How You Can Help

Your support can make a life-saving difference. Every contribution, no matter the size, brings us closer to rescuing my family from this nightmare. With your help, we can reunite them with safety and security on the other side of the border. Time is running out, and the risks increase with every passing day.

Please consider donating to our campaign. Your generosity will not only provide my family with the means to escape the immediate danger but also offer them hope for a future where they can begin to heal and rebuild their lives. I cannot thank you enough for your support.

Together, We Can Save Lives

My family is relying on the kindness of strangers and friends alike to help them escape the ongoing violence. Your donation is not just financial assistance—it is a lifeline, a chance at survival. We need you now more than ever. Please, stand with us and help bring my family to safety.

Thank you for your kindness, your compassion, and your support. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we can save lives.

Toby Regbo at the Choose Love x Virgin 'Remastered Collection' launch event in London -- November 19, 2025 (x)

Look at this human being, look at this profoundly beautiful human being, using his name, using his status to bring attention to something we all should be paying attention to. Source

Many of you know I’m a refugee, leaving my home country under difficult circumstances against impossible odds. But….

no one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark you only run for the border when you see the whole city running as well

With ISIS slaughtering my people for the past….God, lifetimes it seems, with Syria and the horrors there, with my part of the world on fire…I cannot tell you what it means to have people of his status, his reach I should say, point at what’s being ignored and ask that it be considered, that it be talked about. 

This isn’t a new thought about Benedict Cumberbatch by the way, recently I showed my mom the clip of him at the end of Hamlet where he entreats the public to take notice of what’s happening. She had tears in her eyes at the end, saying a litany of prayers for him, blessing him and his children for the kindness he’s showing. The next morning at breakfast she was telling my dad about it…

So this is one of those posts that’s getting out of hand because my heart seems to be coming out through my fingertips but oh well, this is also a post that I’m hoping somehow makes it to B’s radar because he needs to know what his advocacy means, and what an affect he has on those of us who have suffered what he can only imagine, when he uses his considerable name and fame to bring attention to it. 

“After risking your life to escape the most brutal regime on earth, you and your whole family still might be caught and sent back to North Korea to face torture, imprisonment and forced labor. If you’re a female North Korean refugee you’re in grave danger of being sold into a forced marriage or trafficked into the sex industry. This is happening TODAY.”

3 minute video, see what North Korean refugees are fighting right now.

Watch video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJNbH6tR3qU&feature=share

Help by sharing the video, this post or this link: https://rescue.libertyinnorthkorea.org where you can donate however much money you want to the non-profit organization libertyinnorthkorea.org . Every dollar counts.

Sisters and Children Displaced (Human Appeal)

"My sister Rasha, her husband, and their two children now live in a tent, far from the life they once knew. Their home is gone, their safety shattered. Please, help us give them a chance at a better future. Every donation counts."