DESPITE PROFOUND CHALLENGES.
As you may have heard, the situation on the ground in Haiti continues to deteriorate. The country remains without a functioning parliament, judiciary, or infrastructure. Traffic has ground to a virtual halt due to extensive roadblocks, protests, and the inability of most Haitians to access fuel.
This morning we learned that, due to the continued gang control of Haiti’s ports, the country is no longer able to import vital aid including food, water, diesel, and medication. In other words, Haiti is cut off. The scarcity of fuel, especially, has caused many of Haiti’s hospitals and clinics to shut down, leaving the most vulnerable without access to vital care.
Simply put, Haiti is in a profoundly dire situation, the gravity of which we’ve not seen since the 2010 earthquake.
We wanted to take a moment to share with you what the current situation means for our Cite Soleil elders, as well as how we’re leveraging your sponsorship dollars to do everything we can to care for our beloved elders.
The Challenges:
Cite Soleil is widely regarded as the most dangerous place in the world right now, and the area where we serve (referred to as Brooklyn) is quite possibly the most dangerous place within Cite Soleil. Rival gangs currently control access in/out of Brooklyn, which has made it impossible for anyone to bring large scale food, water, or medical support to those inside who desperately need it. Our clinic has remained mostly closed over a year because our medical staff are unable to get into the community.
Simply put, Cite Soleil is experiencing a siege. Malnutrition is currently the biggest concern. Brooklyn’s only access to clean water is through our water truck, which is unable to access the community. New reports are surfacing of a cholera outbreak within Cite Soleil. It’s incredibly heart-wrenching to hear these reports and feel powerless to remedy the situation.
Despite these profound challenges, we have been able to get smaller amounts of food into Cite Soleil. Members of our staff are literally risking their lives in order to care for our Cite Soleil elders by providing food support. Our feeding center has been operating regularly, offering daily food to elders who are able to make it safely to Hope Village. Unfortunately, taking food to elders/families who are home-bound (due to poor health or the ongoing threat of gun violence within their community) has proved difficult. Regular gun battles within and around Brooklyn have made it perilous for our staff to travel to those in need.
Nevertheless, our ability to supply our feeding center with food has created a lifeline for many Cite Soleil elders. The exploding costs of everything means that your sponsorship dollars continue to be vital to our ability to provide regular care. Similarly, sponsorship makes it possible for us to continue employing our Cite Soleil staff, who are displaying a heroic level of care.
Our hope is in Christ. He is truly the only one who can rescue Haiti from this deepening crisis. Will you please continue to join us in prayer for Haiti? We are assembling a team of folks who will commit to gathering for prayer on a weekly/bi-weekly basis. If you would like to know more, please contact Lois Girgis-Coyle: loisgc@healinghaiti.org.
This is written by Alicia, one of Healing Haiti’s in-country missionaries.
Please visit https://healinghaiti.org/…/elder-sponsorship-cite-soleil/ to help our elderly in Cite Soleil. Thank you.
