For families living far from specialist hospitals, treatment can feel out of reach. In early 2025, 48 children received cleft surgery in Dadaab through a multi-agency mission supported by Human Development Fund (HDF).
Each child arrived with a different story and a family hoping for safe, compassionate care. A cleft lip or palate can affect feeding, speech, hearing and dental health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Surgery can be an important step, but it is only one part of a child’s care journey.
Cleft surgery in Dadaab: from screening to treatment
HDF’s program account says teams screened 50 children from Ifo, Ifo 2, Dagahaley, Hagadera and nearby host communities. Clinicians assessed each child’s overall health and readiness for surgery. Of the children screened, 48 were cleared for treatment.
HDF reported that all 48 children completed their procedures and that no intraoperative or postoperative complications were reported. The procedures included repairs for cleft lip and cleft palate.
The mission brought several organizations together. HDF’s published account names Médecins Sans Frontières, the International Rescue Committee, UNHCR and the Kenya Red Cross Society among those involved.
Care beyond the operating room
Recovery does not end when a procedure is complete. HDF reports that children received follow-up support that included speech therapy, nutrition services and oral-health education. Families also received emotional support as they helped their children recover.
The published account says the children continued to receive monitoring through a telemedicine arrangement with the Kenya Red Cross Society. This kind of follow-up can help care teams respond to concerns and guide families after they return home.
Some children born with a cleft may need speech, dental or other specialist care as they grow. Continued monitoring helps keep the focus on the whole child, not only the procedure.
The people behind the number
Forty-eight procedures make a clear headline. Yet every number represents a child, a family and the trust placed in a medical team.
For parents and caregivers, the mission meant preparing a child for surgery and supporting recovery afterward. For the children, it marked the beginning of a longer path of healing and follow-up care.
That is why the impact should not be measured by a before-and-after photograph alone. It is also found in safe clinical care, steady follow-up and the everyday progress families observe over time.
Help more children reach specialist care
HDF’s wider healthcare work includes cleft repair, ENT care, cataract surgery and medical treatment for communities facing barriers to care. This cleft surgery in Dadaab is one part of that continuing effort.
Support HDF’s healthcare work →
May Allah grant every child a complete recovery, reward the families and clinical teams, and make compassionate healthcare easier to reach. Ameen.
