Crowdfunding Amid Conflict: GoFundMe Campaigns Highlight Rafah’s Dire Needs

With the Israeli offensive in Rafah, media attention has increasingly focused on the situation near the Gaza-Egypt border. The social media campaign “All Eyes on Rafah” and continuous coverage of the Israeli-Hamas conflict have made the Internet a crucial source of information for research and coverage of the conflict. This report, prepared by WNM, is based on data retrieved from campaigns launched by Palestinians on the GoFundMe website and other crowdfunding platforms.

The platforms allow individuals to seek financial support for various causes. In recent months, fundraisers for Gaza have surged, with several thousand campaigns now dedicated to providing aid to the region. Most of the campaigns created from March to May aim to finance the escape of families and individuals from Gaza. As the warfare in Rafah unfolds, this report analyzes the humanitarian situation in Rafah, Gaza, based on active GoFundMe campaigns initiated by Palestinians. By examining these campaigns, we aim to understand the urgent needs, personal stories, and the broader socio-political context affecting Rafah. This article delves into the details of these campaigns, examines their validity, and discusses how crowdfunding platforms may profit from such crises.

The keywords for this search were “Rafah,” “Gaza,” “Palestine,” “Palestinian Relief,” and “Rafah relief.” With over a couple thousand campaigns, the most detailed and relevant were selected for this research.

Most of the GoFundMe campaigns aimed to raise funds for families and individuals to pay Rafah crossing fees. Some campaign updates from April to May indicated the closure of the Rafah crossing and the resulting inability of families to flee Gaza. From these campaign updates, we learned that the crossing was facilitated by the Egyptian company Ya Hala, which issued travel permits or visas for those seeking to evacuate through the Rafah crossing. Fees for these permits varied from $2,500 for a child to $7,000-$15,000 per adult. Thousands of campaigns are attempting to raise money for the crossing fees, often with goals of hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover expenses for numerous family members.

Basic Necessities

Campaigns frequently report high costs and limited availability of essential items. Water bottles are priced at $12, and bread at $20, indicating severe inflation and scarcity. Several campaigns highlight the urgent need for medical supplies and treatment, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict. Lack of access to healthcare is a common concern. Campaigns describe harsh living conditions in temporary shelters, including inadequate tents, lack of privacy, and extreme temperatures.

Certain campaigns are crowdfunding money for the provision of the tents and basic needs for the tent establishments. They highlight that they are out-sourcing the tents on the secondary markets. And these are usually the tents that were intended to be distributed for free to the people displaced to Rafah, however, they ended up at the secondary markets, costing 800$ per a tent, according to The Sameer Project.

Funding and Support Patterns

Campaigns for immediate evacuation and basic necessities generally attract more donations, reflecting the urgency of these needs. Long-term infrastructure projects and support for displaced families are less successful, indicating a potential gap in sustained donor interest.

Many campaigns rely heavily on international support, with notable contributions from the Middle Eastern diaspora and global sympathizers. Most of the campaigns are run by people based in the US, Europe, Asia, or Australia on behalf of their friends and relatives who are still in Gaza. Local campaigns often struggle more with funding, reflecting the broader economic challenges within Gaza.

Contextualizing with Current Events

The campaigns coincide with reports of intensified conflict in Rafah, including increased airstrikes and blockades, leading to severe humanitarian crises. The blockade of Gaza and the strategic use of economic pressure by surrounding countries have exacerbated the difficulties faced by residents. The ongoing Israeli campaign and the actions of the Egyptian government at the Rafah crossing create severe barriers to mobility and access to resources, directly impacting the lives of Gaza residents.

Verification Process

GoFundMe has mechanisms to verify the legitimacy of campaigns, such as identity checks and fund usage reviews. However, verifying campaigns from conflict zones like Gaza can be particularly challenging due to limited access and communication barriers. While many campaigns are genuine, there is always a risk of fraudulent campaigns exploiting the crisis for personal gain. Risk of the pages belonging to Hamas or other organizations or groups labeled as terrorist organizations by Western nations could put donors at risk of legal consequences.

Platform Profits

GoFundMe charges a transaction fee for each donation, typically around 2.9% plus $0.30 per donation. This means that a portion of the funds raised goes to the platform. Additional service fees might be applied, depending on the region and payment method.

Monetizing Humanitarian Crises

High-profile crises attract significant attention and traffic to crowdfunding platforms, potentially increasing their overall profitability. Platforms might use successful campaigns as marketing tools to highlight their impact, further driving user engagement and donations.

Except for GoFundMe, Palestinian based campaigns are utilizing other platforms. A lot of accounts seeking financial help are open on Facebook and Instagram. Some of them are facing suspensions from the platforms and are not able to use them in a full manner.

Screenshot from one of the campaigns’ updates reporting suspensions by meta (Source: GoFundMe)

Another campaign using censoring for its description to avoid suspension (Source: GoFundMe)

TikTok has become one of the most popular platforms for collecting donations. Earlier this year, livestreams from the front lines in Ukraine have now been replaced by content related to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. These streams often seek to profit by crowdfunding for individuals or boosting accounts with relevant, sensitive content.

A TikTok streamer introduces himself as a “Palestinian Mujahid” and asks for donations to “support your brother in Rafah” and provide “bread for the children.”

Conclusion

The analysis of GoFundMe campaigns provides a detailed snapshot of the urgent needs and personal experiences of Rafah residents. Immediate aid for evacuation and basic necessities is critical, but there is also a pressing need for sustained support in infrastructure and mental health services. While crowdfunding platforms provide a vital avenue for aid, they also profit from transaction fees, emphasizing the need for transparency and verification to ensure donations reach those in genuine need. Coordinated efforts from donors, NGOs, and policymakers are essential to address the comprehensive humanitarian crisis in Rafah.

For a more detailed review of social media and web platforms utilization on the topic of interest, please contact WNM team