When we last heard from Hana Albaioumy, she was faced with an agonizing decision. She was contemplating what it would take to flee the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza. The only way for her to evacuate Gaza was by crossing the border with Egypt, but it would cost a lot of money, as much as $5,000 a person.

It was hard to imagine spending that much. Hana had worked hard her whole life to help her family climb out of poverty. She’d succeeded and created a career for herself at an international humanitarian organization. Her efforts brought her enough money to leave Gaza with her husband, but she’d still have to start from scratch. 

Now she’s doing just that. Hana and her husband left for Cairo in April, but they couldn’t afford to bring the rest of their family with them. Before she fled, she’d imagined that leaving Gaza would at least help her rest easier. It had been so long since she’d even had decent food. But now that she and her husband are in Cairo, they’re isolated. They have no idea what’s next. And Hana still can’t manage to keep food down. 

In this update, we’ll hear from Hana about what it was like to say goodbye to her family, how she’s coping with the violence in Gaza from afar, and the one fleeting moment when she felt like her old self, from before the war began. 

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