Collaboration leads to breakthrough with cleft lip palate surgeries

Since beginning our work in Gaza, we’ve met so many families of children born with cleft lip and palate (CLP).

For mothers, the journey is overwhelming: hand-expressing breast milk 8–10 times a day, searching for special bottles, and waiting anxiously for the chance of surgery, often not until their baby is 10 months old.

At GINA, we became a hub for CLP specialist care, providing mental health support for mothers, guidance with breast milk expression, access to CLP bottles, and exploring surgery options.

But the question remained: how do we provide these life-changing surgeries without forcing families to split apart?

The breakthrough came through a unique collaboration with the Jordanian Field Hospital in Khan Younis, the Ministry of Health, WHO, UNICEF, and GINA - bringing holistic CLP care inside Gaza to keep families together.

The results?

• 40 children under 2 supported

• Nutritional & cash assistance provided

• 10 successful surgeries performed by the brilliant Dr. Hamza Al Kofahi, Dr. Ahmad Al Omari, and Dr. Ali Madi.

Dr. Hamza Al Kofahi, Dr. Ahmad Al Omari, and Dr. Ali Madi.

One young girl’s new smile brought us all to tears — a shining star of hope in the midst of so much darkness.

Together, we are restoring hope and smiles for CLP children in Gaza.

After surgery.