Sabreen Algherbawi (left) and her family at the Saskatoon airport after escaping Gaza last November. (Abdullah Algherbawi/Submitted Photo)

By Derek Craddock

HELP FOR HER FAMILY

Sask. woman raising money to help family stuck in Gaza

Feb 27, 2024 | 5:00 PM

“Every minute, they live in danger.”

Those are the words from a Saskatchewan woman who has been working endlessly to bring her family to Canada from the war in Gaza.

Sabreen Algherbawi and her children live in Prince Albert but were stranded in the Palestinian territory after a terror attack by Hamas triggered retaliation from Israel.

For months, she moved from place to place with little contact with her husband Abdullah who was still in P.A.

In an interview with paNOW last October, Abdullah said it was hard every day, not knowing whether his family was safe or whether he would see them again. In early November, he received the good news that his family crossed into Egypt and were on their way home.

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While there is joy that she and her kids are safe in Canada, Sabreen worries each day for her family that had to stay behind in Gaza.

The last time she spoke with her family was last week.

“There is no connection, nothing here,” she said. “It’s hard to call them and to talk with them.”

She told paNOW that Israeli strikes have destroyed her family’s home and they’ve been forced to relocate several times, going from the north end of the territory to the south. Now, they are living in tents in what’s become a daily struggle to stay alive.

“There is no work for them, no income, nothing,” said Sabreen. “They want to live. They want something to eat.”

That prompted her to launch a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to help support her family in Gaza, which she said is at risk of starvation and disease.

The GoFundMe started just a few days ago and Sabreen is still trying to get the word out.

While the fundraiser is going on, Sabreen has been working over the past few weeks to have her family come to Canada through a temporary resident visa (TRV) program which opened to applications in early January.

Sabreen has already applied for her family but said the process is complicated. She said a code would be sent to her after the application was finished, but she has yet to see that.

The rules for the TRV also state that once approved, those exiting Gaza must provide their biometrics and fingerprints.

Applicants are also asked to provide details like past email addresses and phone numbers, social media account information, an employment history going back to age 16, and a description of identifying scars and injuries.

The situation is also made more difficult by several reports claiming that those fleeing Gaza and trying to enter Egypt are being told to pay fees or in some cases bribes of anywhere from $4,000 to $5,000.

The Egyptian State Information Service though has denied any such money collection.

Sabreen said the entire process is overwhelming and called it unfair.

“I don’t know why the government do that,” she said. “Comparing with other people like (in) Syria, like Ukraine, for all the refugees, they came here. This program is completely different.”

While the situation does appear to be getting worse for people in Palestine, Sabreen is working and holding out hope that her family will be OK and one day be allowed to come to Canada.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com