In the midst of the tumultuous conflict gripping the northern Gaza Strip, a family holding dual citizenship from Palestine and Sierra Leone is desperately pleading for a safe passage home after enduring more than 90 days of dire conditions at the Rafah Border Crossing.
Their plight has been compounded by the relentless Israeli bombardments, which have plunged the region into chaos.
Caught in the crossfire as violence erupted, the family swiftly sought assistance from the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Egypt. In a bid to aid their evacuation, the embassy collaborated with international rescue organizations. However, upon reaching the Rafah crossing, they found themselves trapped in a precarious situation, with Israel conducting daily airstrikes and shelling, alongside looming threats of large-scale ground military operations.
Aiman Al-Baraawi, the patriarch of the family, voiced the distressing circumstances they endure, revealing, “My family and I, my children, everyone, we sleep with our passports on us every day so that even if we lose our lives at night, whoever finds our remains will know who we are.”
Currently taking refuge in a cramped temporary shelter alongside more than 200 other displaced individuals awaiting evacuation, the family paints a grim picture of their ordeal.
Al-Baraawi highlights the overwhelming challenges, stating, “It is a complete tragedy here. We can smell corpses in many places we reach. It is impossible to live. It will take too much to rebuild this place. People have decided to leave.”
