Connecting Humanity

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{{Short description|Fundraising collective}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = Connecting Humanity

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| formation = {{start date and age|2023}}

| founder = Mirna El Helbawi

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| purpose = Providing eSIM

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| location_city = Cairo

| location_country = Egypt

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| region_served = Gaza Strip

| products =

| services = Connectivity

| methods = eSIM

| fields = Telecommunication

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| awards = Electronic Frontier Foundation award for Championing Internet Access in Gaza

| website = {{URL|connecting-humanity.org}}

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{{Portal|Telecommunication|Telephones|Internet}}

Connecting Humanity (also known as eSims for Gaza) is an activist collective which provides internet access to people in Gaza using donated eSIMs, allowing them to connect to networks outside of Gaza.{{Cite web |last=Vo |first=Lam Thuy |date=2023-11-07 |title='Let Me Tell Them Goodbye Before They Get Killed': How eSIM Cards Are Connecting Palestinian Families – The Markup |url=https://themarkup.org/news/2023/11/07/let-me-tell-them-goodbye-before-they-get-killed-how-esims-cards-are-connecting-palestinian-families |access-date=2024-03-19 |website=themarkup.org |language=en}}{{Cite news |title=Gazans had no cell service. An effort led from Egypt helped reconnect them |work=The New York Times |date=29 October 2023 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/29/world/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news#gazans-had-no-cell-service-an-effort-led-from-egypt-helped-reconnect-them |last1=Kershner |first1=Isabel |last2=Nereim |first2=Vivian |last3=Shankar |first3=Vivek |last4=Rogers |first4=Katie }}{{Cite web |title=eSims For Gaza |url=https://gazaesims.com/ |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=gazaesims.com}} It is run by Mirna El Helbawi, an Egyptian journalist, writer and activist.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-04 |title=This activist is helping Palestinians get back online in Gaza when connection is lost under Israeli attack |url=https://edition.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-12-4-2023#h_4cbb756118bb2b86b2e89f2e4ed1500b |access-date=2024-03-19 |website=CNN |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Español |first=Marc |date=2024-01-29 |title=The Egyptians who have sent more than 130,000 digital cell phone cards to Gaza to defy blackouts |url=https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-01-29/the-egyptians-who-have-sent-more-than-130000-digital-cell-phone-cards-to-gaza-to-defy-blackouts.html |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=EL PAÍS English |language=en-us}} Over 200,000 people in Gaza (around 10% of the population) have received internet access through an eSIM.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-03 |title=When Gaza lost telephone and internet connection, this activist found a way to get Palestinians back online |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/03/when-gaza-lost-telephone-and-internet-connection-this-activist-found-a-way-to-get-palestinians-back-online/ |access-date=2024-03-19 |website=The Mercury News |language=en-US}}

Background

The Israeli Ministry of Communications has control over the cellular communications and technology Palestinians may build, which has been limited to 2G.{{Cite news |date=2024-01-16 |title=Why Gaza keeps losing communications |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/01/16/gaza-cellphone-communications-blackout/ |access-date=2024-03-19 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en}} Direct attacks on telecommunications infrastructure by Israel, electricity blockades and fuel shortages have caused the near-total collapse of Gaza's largest cell network providers.{{Cite news |last=Aly |first=Rasha |date=2023-12-17 |title=Palestinians in Gaza using eSim cards to get around communications blackout |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/17/esim-cards-internet-gaza-palestinians |access-date=2024-03-19 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |last=Vo |first=Lam Thuy |date=2023-11-07 |title='Let Me Tell Them Goodbye Before They Get Killed': How eSIM Cards Are Connecting Palestinian Families – The Markup |url=https://themarkup.org/news/2023/11/07/let-me-tell-them-goodbye-before-they-get-killed-how-esims-cards-are-connecting-palestinian-families |access-date=2024-03-19 |website=themarkup.org |language=en}}

Lack of internet access has obstructed Gazan citizens from communicating with loved ones, learning of IDF operations, and identifying both the areas most exposed to bombing and possible escape routes. The blackouts have also impeded emergency services, making it more difficult to locate and access the time-critical injured, and have impeded humanitarian aid agencies and journalists as well.{{Cite web |last=Shabana |first=Yasmin |date=2023-12-07 |title=Tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are staying connected to the world via donated eSIMs |url=https://qz.com/tens-of-thousands-of-palestinians-in-gaza-are-staying-c-1851078107 |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Quartz |language=en}}

First use of eSIMs

The Egyptian journalist, writer and activist Mirna El Helbawi discovered that eSIMs (a programmable SIM card built into a smartphone{{Cite web |title=What is an eSIM? Here's all you need to know in 2024 |url=https://saily.com/what-is-esim/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |website=Saily |language=en}}) could be used by people in Gaza to connect to remote telecommunication networks whilst roaming (primarily Egyptian and Israeli networks).{{cite news |last1=Collier |first1=Kevin |last2=Abdelkader |first2=Rima |title=Palestinians are using donated eSIM cards to stay in touch with the outside world |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/esim-card-gaza-palestine-israel-war-hamas-rcna134498 |access-date=26 April 2024 |work=NBC News |date=19 January 2024 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=How eSims are helping thousands in Gaza stay connected amid blackouts |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/11/21/1196978502/here-now-anytime-draft-11-21-2023 |website=NPR}}{{Cite web |title=How eSIMs and social media are helping Gazans stay online |url=https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-tech/israel-hamas-war-esims-gazans/ |access-date=2024-08-21 |website=Marketplace |language=en-US}} The first people she was able to connect by this method were Egyptian journalist Ahmed El-Madhoun and Palestinian journalist Hind Khoudary.{{Cite web |last=Hesham |first=Merna |date=2024-03-19 |title='Palestinians won't be silenced again!' : Egyptian journalist Mirna El-Helbawi initiative to get Gaza back online |url=https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/511223.aspx |website=Ahram Online}} The collective currently uses eSIMs from the providers Airalo, Holafly, Nomad, and Simly which are activated by transmissible, one-time QR codes.{{Cite web |title=eSims For Gaza |url=https://gazaesims.com/ |access-date=2024-03-19 |website=gazaesims.com}}

Impact

By December 2023, 200,000 Gazans (approximately 10% of the population) had received internet access through an eSIM provided by Connecting Humanity.{{Cite web |last1=Elassar |first1=Alaa| last2=Tucker |first2=Emma |date=2023-12-03 |title=When Gaza lost phone and internet under Israeli attack, this activist found a way to get Palestinians back online |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/03/middleeast/gaza-palestinians-blackouts-power-airstrikes/index.html |access-date=2024-03-19 |website=CNN |language=en}} In 2024 they were recognised by the Electronics Frontier Foundation awards for 'Championing Internet Access in Gaza'.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-11 |title=EFF Awards 2024 |url=https://www.eff.org/event/eff-awards-2024#award-3 |access-date=2024-07-25 |website=Electronic Frontier Foundation |language=en}}

References

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