A fundraising campaign has been launched to help a young Palestinian family return to Belfast after a racially motivated attack forced them to relocate.
Since being launched on Sunday, the campaign has raised over £4,700, far exceeding the initial target of £1,000.
The family, who is choosing to remain anonymous, spoke to the BBC last week about the ordeal.
They were living in east Belfast when their home was targeted by three men on August 17. During the attack, the father was at work while his wife and one-month-old baby were at home.
The fundraising page said: “The attackers broke a window, banged on doors and jumped on a plastic roof covering the property’s yard.
“The father of the family came home to find his wife hiding under their bed, with their one-month-old baby.”
Following the incident, the family was forced to relocate to emergency temporary accommodation in Ballykelly, more than 60 miles from Belfast.
The young Palestinian man has since lost his job in south Belfast as a result of the distance and the family are struggling to attend medical appointments in Belfast with their young baby.
Speaking to BBC NI, the father of one said his wife is “emotionally broken”.
“I feel I am not safe. I felt the same as I did in Palestine,” he added.
“The problem is, I need to wake up at 6 o’clock in the morning to get to Belfast for appointments.”
He added that the family had spent hundreds of pounds on taxis since the incident.
“I am scared because I am a new dad, because I have a wife. I think, if something goes wrong, what will happen to my baby and my wife,” he said.
Funds raised will help the young family cover the cost of travel to and from Belfast, pay for basic expenses and fund a deposit on a new home in Belfast.
Having moved to Northern Ireland in 2019, the family consider Belfast their home and are eager to return.
Donations to support the family can be made here.
