The Kakuma Mission Hospital, founded as a medical and emergency centre by the Medical Missionaries of Mary in 1964, has rapidly grown into an essential hospital for the local communities, as well as serving as a referral hospital for the large number of refugees from the nearby Kakuma Refugee Camp and the Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement.

The COVID-19 pandemic has further increased the fear and distress felt by the resident population and refugees living in an already harsh environment. In addition, the frontline health care workers, who serve the population, were in desperate need of masks for their protection during their daily contacts with hundreds of patients. Thanks to a generous personal donation of surgical masks made to Kenya, the Sovereign Order of Malta, through Malteser International, was able to distribute 56,000 of the 610,000 total masks received to the Mission Hospital under the Diocese of Lodwar. All visiting patients are also provided with a mask, as are the households during outreach activities to ensure that families and communities are also kept safe.

To make matters worse, the on-going drought, due to very poor rainfall since the beginning of 2020, has resulted in making the needs of the above communities greater and critically urgent. We therefore appeal for donations for the Kakuma Mission Hospital, as this will enable us to provide the necessary support and directly save lives.