LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Early Sunday, hundreds of Palestinians at a “Walk for Gaza” at Lakewood Park raised awareness of the humanitarian crisis and lives lost due to the Israel-Hamas war.
More than 250 gathered in their Palestinian colors and traditional scarfs at Lakewood Park to walk and support the Palestinian Children Relief Fund (PCRF).
“We are doing this Walk for Gaza to bring awareness to the situation in Gaza where so many have lost their lives,” said Amal Hamed, the president of the Cleveland Chapter of the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund.
The Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund provides medical and humanitarian aid to children in Palestine. They held the "Walk for Gaza" as Israeli bombing intensified, worsening the humanitarian crisis in the strip. More than 2,000 children have been killed, according to aid agencies.
“The need had got exponentially worse in the last few days, especially with there being no fuel, no medical supplies, no clean water,” said Hamed.
Among the participants was Palestinian Farah El-Ashram, the founder of Cleveland State University’s Students for Justice in Palestine organization. Ahead of the walk, each person was given the name of a child killed in the war to carry, but what Farah didn't expect was to find one she recognized.
“This exact name was given to my mother, and this is one of our cousins, and we were not aware that he had passed away,” said El-Ashram.
That painful news comes as her family has struggled to get in touch with their family members in the Gaza Strip.
“We don't know what's happening with them. Last time we heard anything, all the buildings around them were blown up and they're just kind of waiting,” said El-Ashram.
The lack of ability to communicate and check in overseas is causing them nothing but worry. Khalid Bahhur also faces the same battle, as he still hasn't talked to the kids he sponsors through PCRF.
“I have little children that I sponsor in the Gaza Strip, and I have not been able to contact them or reach out to them,” said Bahhur.
News 5 spoke with Bahhur and his family back in June when they hosted two children who lost their legs in an Israeli attack. They were brought to Ohio to help get them sized for prosthetic legs. Now they can’t get in contact with them.
“I’m just very worried that they're not alive,” said Bahhur.
Bahhur and El-Ashram carry the same pain as so many in Northeast Ohio.
“I think a lot of us share in the feeling of helplessness that we can't go to our homeland we can't directly help them on the ground,” said El-Ashram.
So together, leaning on each other, as the Arab community raises awareness every chance they can.
“I want the ability to not have to beg people to see us as human,” said El-Ashram.
“I think it's important for everyone to know that there are two sides to every story,” said Hamed.
Once they finished walking, they stuck the names in the ground for all to see.
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