Arigna man seeks support in a bid to help friends escape war torn Gaza

A young Arigna man has issued an urgent appeal for support in a bid to help his friends escape war torn Gaza.

Twenty-five year old Lorccan Duignan has set up a gofundme page and has been walking for 75 minutes every day in January to raise funds for his friends Hala and her husband Akram, who are presently living in an old abandoned garage with no facilities and are under the constant threat of bombs and sniper fire.

Lorccan explained: “I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Hala in 2021 when we studied together at University College, Dublin. While a colleague of mine there, Hala proved herself not just to be a conscientious and hardworking student but also demonstrated her moral decency, generosity, warmness, and good humour. These were just some of the attributes that led us to become such good friends and I cherish the times we shared together in Dublin before she returned to Gaza in the spring of 2022.

“We maintained regular contact online ever since then, with the hope that someday we would be able to meet again. Through these video calls, I also got to know her husband, Akram. Just like his wife, he has proven himself to be a good-natured person who I now, too, consider a close friend. However, I can see how this incessant bombardment and humanitarian disaster is traumatising them and breaking their spirits. This is now a matter of life and death. As a friend, I cannot stand by and do nothing. That's why I'm reaching out, asking for support to contribute in any way to help Hala and Akram secure a safe route out to Egypt.” He went on to add: “I decided to launch this fundraiser because it became very clear as soon as Hamas invaded Israel that what was about to unfold would be very serious and the lives of Hala and Akram would be put at risk. And that’s what happened. Ordinary civilians’ lives have been gravely affected, the level of which hasn’t been seen in Palestine for 75 years when the Nakba happened. That is where the idea for ‘75 Minutes for 75 Years’ came from. Every day this month, I am walking 75 minutes a day to symbolise the 75 years of oppression the Palestinian people have endured at the hands of Israel.

“I can see that my friends are experiencing extremely difficult conditions due to the conflict, such as limited access to basic necessities like food, water, and electricity. Simple things like accessing a bathroom have meant putting their lives in danger, as the bombs keep falling from the sky and the snipers continue to target innocent people. The fundraiser is a way to channel my frustration into positive action. This fundraiser will give Hala and Akram the opportunity to escape the warzone for Egypt, where they can move on from all this devastation and live their lives in the peace that they deserve.

“Hala and Akram have been displaced a total of three times. They are currently staying in an abandoned garage, with Akram’s parents, sister, brother-in-law and their three infant children, in Rafah, near the border with Egypt. Just last week, the street they were staying on was bombed, only about 20 metres from where they are currently residing. Thankfully the bomb that fell didn’t kill or injure anyone but it damaged the communication lines and it meant that we couldn’t communicate for nearly a week. So, in a lot of ways, focusing on this fundraiser is a good distraction when I can’t reach out to them and vice versa.

“Hala’s family opted not to evacuate their home neighbourhood of Tuffah in northern Gaza, largely due to the fact she has a brother with disabilities (Omar) and they considered that leaving would have put their lives at greater risk. She has three brothers (Omar, Mohammed, Abdullah) and three sisters (Anji, Lama and Asil). Tuffah has been the location of heavy Israeli strikes in recent days. Unfortunately, mobile connection is completely down in the north and she has not heard from her family in weeks. She is sick with worry.” He continued: “The generosity that has been shown by so many people has been really overwhelming. Hala has often remarked that this level of kindness speaks volumes about how Irish people have a natural understanding of the Palestinian people’s struggle, given our history of famine and colonisation. I have also had people come up to me and say that my fundraiser has raised awareness about what is going on in Gaza and this shows that every bit of exposure really counts.” 

To date 251 donations have been made to his gofundme page (https://gofund.me/f27bc751.) amounting to €6,330 out of his target of €14,000 which is needed to cover the expenses to obtain expedited visas in Egypt. “The cost is around €7,000 per person," he explained. While Lorccan may not have achieved his goal by the end of January he said he will continue to fundraise in other ways.

Appealing to the public to support this cause he said: “Recent updates from my friends emphasise the fact that time does not stop for anyone and unfortunately, time is not on their side. If that Israeli bomb fell just a few metres closer to the garage [a bomb exploded near their makeshift home just days previously], my friends would be dead. If the bomb explosion wasn’t to finish them off, they could have been trapped under crushing rubble to suffer an agonisingly slow death, like the some 7,000 people who are currently missing in Gaza. This fundraiser is an urgent appeal to get my friends to safety in Egypt. Please spread the word about my fundraiser or donate if you are in a position to do so.

“In the words of Irish lawyer Blinne Ní Ghralaigh: ‘The world should be absolutely horrified. The world should be absolutely outraged. There is no safe place in Gaza and the world should be ashamed’.” To date more than 25,000 people have been killed in Gaza.