Egypt’s Rafah border: The costs of fleeing Gaza
Mohammed Ra’ed, a Palestinian medical student, says, “No one wants his family to die or suffer, but not all of them can evacuate them,” adding that two-thirds of Gazans already lived in poverty before Israel’s campaign. Cairo, Egypt, March 30, 2024.
Mohammed Ra’ed set up a fundraiser for his displaced family of six, after a broker relayed wartime “coordination” fees of $5,000 per adult, and $2,500 per child. “Even if you had the money, you've spent all of it on the war.” Cairo, Egypt, March 30, 2024.
“If I want to continue my studies here, and succeed in my life, I want to see it in my family's faces and eyes,” says Mohammed Ra’ed. “So, if they're not here for me, all my efforts, all the things I do, [will go] in vain." Cairo, Egypt, March 30, 2024.
Issam Younis, the Palestinian director of Gaza-based Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, describes the suffering that many Gaza residents dream of escaping. “In Palestine, the passage of time is now marked by the count of children's bodies, cups of clean water, and medicine bills,” he says. Cairo, Egypt, April 6, 2024.
Etemad Abu Tahoun, a Palestinian mother and journalist, takes in news from Gaza, where her only son and ailing father languish. The screen reads: “A Palestinian mother’s happiness knowing that her son is alive.” Cairo, Egypt, April 1, 2024.
Etemad Abu Tahoun, like hundreds of Palestinians, is fundraising to pay for the evacuation of a loved one from Gaza. Her son, Momen, whose home and university in the north were bombed, now lives in fear of another Israeli military assault. Cairo, Egypt, April 1, 2024.
“I’ll help my son escape death, and his presence will be my support as I navigate the challenges ahead,” says Etemad Abu Tahoun, who is also battling various debilitating illnesses, like rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. Cairo, Egypt, April 1, 2024.
Hundreds rally at the Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate, chanting “Gaza is suffocating, open the Rafah border!” Days later, Egypt announced an increase in aid to the Strip with 300 trucks daily, or half the pre-war rate. Cairo, Egypt, April 3, 2024.
“Who holds the key to these borders,” people of all ages chant in solidarity from the steps of the Journalists’ Syndicate, continuing, “Palestine awaits us on the other side!” Cairo, Egypt, April 3, 2024.
Alaa Shalaby, the Egyptian head of the Arab Organization for Human Rights, says the sole cross-border operator approved by Egypt, Hala Consulting and Tourism, serves 40% of travelers with fast-track coordination. Cairo, Egypt, April 6, 2024.