Bay Area ER doctor holds event for Gaza after medical mission to region
LOS GATOS, Calif. - Thursday's rainy weather didn't stop people in the South Bay from coming out to raise money for humanitarian aid in Gaza.
The fundraiser in Los Gatos was partly organized by a local ER doctor who recently returned from a medical mission in the war-torn region.
"This event was the brainchild of our team," according to Dr. Mohammad Subeh, who owns Kenz Coffee Roasters and said the proceeds from each cup served would be donated to non-profit Islamic Relief.
The event was co-organized by El Halal Amigos, which raised additional funds by selling tacos.
Islamic Relief said some of the money raised would be directed to several food kitchens in Gaza, which prepare around 90,000 hot meals a day for Palestinians caught up in the war with Israel.
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"They’re fasting, they’re praying, they’re hanging in there, they’re hopeful…and they’re definitely in our prayers," said Chafik Ziadeh of Islamic Relief.
Meantime, Subeh said he is still trying to mentally unpack everything he witnessed during his mission in Gaza, where more than 33,000 people have died, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Subeh said he hoped the event would also raise awareness about the limited medical supplies that Palestinians in Gaza currently have access to.
"It was so inhumane, I felt, to like, operate on patients without proper anesthesia, but the alternative many times was they would die," said Subeh.
Subeh said he was moved by the outpouring of support shown by the community at the fundraiser, which he described as an opportunity to "donate whatever we can to organizations on the ground, to get it to people that need it the most on the ground."