Feeling horrified and helpless witnessing the ongoing suffering of the people of Gaza, we wanted to raise money for Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) as one of the world's leading medical humanitarian aid organisations.

We wanted to raise money for MSF by participating in a challenge to walk/run/swim/row/bike the approximate distance from London to Gaza of 3585km. This would be the total distance completed by the group as a whole in 30 days.

Our group for this challenge currently includes (and may increase in number)

Sayomi, Chamath, Druvi, Charith, Lilangi, Nalin, Mihiri, Neil, Lianne, Melanie, Chitra, Dennis, Neha, Marimena, Anna, Gary, Tristan, Abigail, Raghav, Sashika, Karen, James, Lily, Gihan, Margi, Aiyana, Evleen, Helen, Janaka and Shama.

Your support for this cause will be truly appreciated!

Below are some statements made by MSF including recent statements relating to their work and more recently ( as of 26/10/23) their involvement in Gaza.

“We provide emergency assistance to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics and natural or man-made disasters, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.

We work in over 70 countries and go to the places where others cannot or choose not to go.”

“MSF is an independent, impartial and neutral humanitarian organisation. We operate based on medical need alone, going wherever that is greatest.

In Gaza, one of the most densely populated places on Earth, around 2.2 million people who were already living through a chronic crisis now face a humanitarian catastrophe.

Hospitals are overwhelmed and critically low on supplies, fuel and electricity. Our staff have spoken of the wounded screaming without painkillers, how already sick people cannot reach care and the fear of being hit in an airstrike.

MSF teams have been working in Palestine since 1989, providing trauma care, mental health services and running a specialist reconstructive surgery project. We currently have 300 staff members in Gaza. The majority are Palestinian and many have now lost homes or family members in the violence.

Medical support

We have supported the four main hospitals in Gaza, including Al Shifa, Al Awda, Nasser, and the Indonesian Hospital, as well as several clinics. Some of these facilities have been damaged by airstrikes.We have been treating the wounded since the first hours of the attacks. A large proportion of our patients have been children.

On 9 October, we opened a clinic in downtown Gaza City for people with other injuries.We dispatched two surgical teams. On 10 October, we reopened an operating theatre at Al Shifa – Gaza’s main surgical hospital – to provide care to trauma and burns patients.

As of 23 October, our activities are currently very limited. We have extreme difficulties delivering aid and providing healthcare due to insecurity and the unpredictability of bombardments.

Following the unacceptable evacuation order for north Gaza, some of our staff decided to move south. However, others have remained and continue to support life-saving work at Al Shifa Hospital (the main surgical facility in Gaza) as well as Al Nasser Hospital in the south. At Al Awda Hospital, an MSF team also continues to work in the inpatient department, using the medical stock that we had in our warehouse..We will send emergency teams if and when we are able to.

Logistical support

Our logistics teams have delivered essential medical supplies to under-pressure hospitals across Gaza. Currently, we are also supporting local healthcare authorities with donations from our medical stock.

Due to the huge and uninterrupted influx of wounded people, Al Shifa Hospital faced a complete shortage of essential medicines. In response, we made a large donation of supplies, including medicines and equipment.

Our teams are working hard to prepare cargo shipments of medical and humanitarian supplies to enter Gaza when safe access is guaranteed and open.

MSF wants to be able to access people in need of medical care and offer life-saving humanitarian services, but to do this we need basic guarantees of safety.

We reiterate our calls for sufficient humanitarian aid and fuel to be allowed into Gaza, including via the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border, and for healthcare staff and facilities to be protected.”

“MSF UK is not appealing for funds specifically for our work in Gaza but asking for donations to our conflict appeal. By supporting this, you will be helping ensure we can respond to conflict situations around the world. We can guarantee that some of your donation will directly support MSF’s response in Gaza.”