NEP Volunteers Join Operation Smile Mission In Morocco, Showcasing UAE’s Spirit Of Service

NADOR, Morocco, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 19th Sep, 2025) A delegation of National Experts Programme (NEP) volunteers has returned from a weeklong Operation Smile surgical programme in Nador, Morocco, where Emiratis worked alongside an international team to support children receiving free cleft lip and cleft palate care.

The mission, held from 12th–19th September, marked the first time NEP has supported an Operation Smile programme. Seven NEP Experts, accompanied by Mohamed Al Qubaisi, a member of NEP’s Committee, joined non-medical volunteer roles including registration, patient guidance through screening, and providing comfort to anxious parents. They also visited the hospital’s pediatric ward, distributing gifts, infant formula and diapers.

Operation Smile UAE coordinated NEP’s participation, while the surgical programme was organised and conducted by Operation Smile Morocco. A multidisciplinary medical team — surgeons, anesthetists, nurses, dentists and speech and language therapists — traveled from across the Operation Smile network, including volunteers from Brazil and Canada. Three UAE medical volunteers also served in key roles as Clinical Coordinator, Pre/Post Nurse and Medical Records.

“This collaboration exemplifies the UAE’s commitment to compassion in action,” said Morag Cromey-Hawke, Executive Director of Operation Smile UAE. “At Operation Smile, we believe safe, essential surgery is a human right. By working hand-in-hand with partners, we’re bringing care closer to communities so more patients receive the comprehensive cleft care they deserve.

”
Al Qubaisi said the experience brought NEP’s learning model to life in the field. “Serving in Nador connected our Experts to the real-world needs of communities and showcased how collaboration, empathy and action — core NEP mindsets — can transform lives,” he said.

The mission was supported by NEP legacy partner Mubadala and dovetailed with the UAE’s Year of Community. Volunteers said they were struck by the precision and skill of the surgical teams — and the immediate difference a single procedure can make to a child’s health and confidence. Many reflected that small gestures — offering tea, sharing a meal, or simply listening — helped ease the anxiety of parents awaiting news from the operating theatre.

Founded in 1982, Operation Smile is a global nonprofit specialising in cleft surgery and comprehensive care. The organisation works with local health systems to train providers and expand access to surgery in under-resourced settings. With five billion people worldwide lacking access to safe, affordable surgery, Operation Smile and its partners focus on bringing care closer to home by addressing barriers such as distance, limited infrastructure and workforce shortages.

Established in 2011, Operation Smile UAE began offering surgery in 2017 and has since conducted 16 surgical programmes in the UAE, providing free, safe surgery to more than 230 patients with cleft conditions. The UAE entity has also funded programmes in Honduras, Ghana, Morocco, Ethiopia, Egypt, Madagascar, Malawi, Jordan and the Philippines, contributing to more than 4,000 “new smiles.”