Solidarity campaign for family of England drowning victims surpasses target within hours
More than 360 Palestinian, Arab and British families contributed as donations exceeded the original target and continued to rise
London – A solidarity campaign launched to support the family of the late Hossam Al-Khawas, one of the victims of a tragic drowning incident in England, surpassed its fundraising target within hours of going live, with donations continuing to come in at the time of publication.
The Palestinian Forum in Britain launched the community fundraising appeal on the morning of Sunday, 24 August 2026, to help the family meet the financial and practical burdens arising from the tragedy.
The campaign drew a rapid response from members of the Palestinian and wider Arab communities, alongside British friends and supporters.
According to figures from the fundraising page, more than 360 families took part in the appeal. Contributions varied according to each donor’s means, ranging from £5 to £1,000, reflecting both the breadth of the response and the speed with which people answered the appeal.
A community-led initiative
The fundraising page describes the appeal as an entirely community-led initiative launched by the Palestinian Forum in Britain without waiting for a request from the bereaved family.
It said the campaign was based on the belief that “human and social responsibility requires us to take the initiative and stand alongside those who are grieving and their families in such circumstances”.
The campaign aims to:
- cover the costs of preparing the bodies and completing the necessary official procedures for their repatriation and burial in Lebanon;
- provide comprehensive support for the two surviving children, including their living and educational needs in the period ahead.
The original fundraising target was £20,000, but the strength of the response meant the total surpassed that figure within a short period. Donations continued to arrive after the target had been reached.
Donations to go to the family under UK fundraising rules
As part of what organisers described as their commitment to transparency, the campaign said donations would be transferred, in accordance with the fundraising platform’s rules and applicable UK regulations, to accounts held by members of the Al-Khawas family, including Amani Al-Khawas.
The money will be used to support the family, care for the two children and complete the arrangements arising from the tragedy.
Organisers stressed that exceeding the fundraising target did not mean the need for support had ended. Any additional money raised, they said, would go towards supporting the surviving members of the family and helping meet their living and educational needs in the months ahead.
Victims to be buried in Lebanon’s Rashidieh camp
The family has decided that the victims will be taken to Lebanon for burial at the Rashidieh Palestinian refugee camp in the south of the country, the father’s birthplace.
Adnan Hmidan, president of the Palestinian Forum in Britain, said the decision reflected the wishes of the victims’ relatives as well as the difficulties and complexities involved in securing travel to the UK for family members.
“We are almost being forced into this,” Hmidan said. “The victims’ relatives want the chance to see them and say a final goodbye.”
He added that although the victims were British citizens, this “does not help them when it comes to Home Office rules”, as he put it, pointing to what he described as restrictive and complicated visitor visa procedures for their relatives.
Those difficulties, he said, made it extremely hard for family members to travel to Britain to say goodbye.
Hmidan also said burial costs in London were significant, making repatriation to Lebanon a more practical option under the circumstances, while also respecting the family’s wish for the victims to be laid to rest in the father’s home community in Rashidieh.
“360 donors represent 360 families”
Speaking about the speed of the response, Hmidan said the level of solidarity was not unusual within the Arab community, the Palestinian diaspora and among British friends and supporters.
“The humanitarian cause is what brings everyone together,” he said.
“The more than 360 people who donated are not standing alone. They represent 360 families from a community that remains attached to its faith, its values and the best of its customs and traditions.”
He said the Forum had witnessed numerous acts of solidarity since the tragedy, with people “rushing to help, volunteer, offer services, provide food and much more”.
The response, he said, reflected the strength of community solidarity at a moment of acute hardship.
Donations continue after target is reached
Although the initial target was met within hours, the fundraising appeal remains open.
The money will continue to help cover the costs of official procedures, preparing and transporting the bodies and burial arrangements, while a central priority remains supporting the two surviving children and the wider family in the period ahead.
Organisers are therefore urging those who are able to continue contributing, even in small amounts, and to share the fundraising appeal with friends, community groups and organisations.
They say every additional contribution could help ease the burdens facing the family in the coming months.
Donation link:
The first target has been reached, but the need has not ended. Organisers say every additional pound raised can provide meaningful support to the surviving members of the family and help secure the two children’s living and educational needs.
Beyond the amount collected, the first hours of the appeal offered a striking display of community solidarity: not measured simply by how much any one person gave, but by the number of people who chose to stand beside a bereaved family at one of the most difficult moments of their lives.
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