Haiti Update - November 2024
Haiti has been in the news lately, but not for all the good things like those that are happening with the St. Joseph Family. Haiti has been in the news because an already terrible situation worsened and is become more challenging in new ways.
On Nov. 11, the gangs who are controlling Haiti shot at three commercial airplanes. The Spirit plane was landing when it was hit several times. They pulled out of the landing and went to the Dominican Republic. A flight attendant was grazed by a bullet, and you could see bullet holes in the door and overhead compartments. Bullet holes were found on the outside of JetBlue and American planes after regularly scheduled flights landed in the US. The Port-au-Prince airport immediately closed to all traffic, international and domestic. The next day, the FAA banned US-carrier flights from going to Haiti for 30 days. JetBlue and American have both announced they won’t fly to Haiti again until mid-February.
In Port-au-Prince, gangs are locked in near-constant battles with police and neighborhood vigilante groups, leaving dozens dead in recent days. Many homes have been set ablaze, and more than 20,000 people have been forced to flee their neighborhoods over the past two weeks, some in the dead of night, as violence erupted. Schools have closed, businesses are operating with limited hours if at all, and public transportation has come to a halt.
The Transitional Council tasked with restoring Haiti’s government dismissed the Prime Minister on November 10, appointing a new one the following day. Most of the outgoing Prime Minister's cabinet also left, plunging an already fragile government structure into further upheaval.
For now, the St. Joseph Family leadership and those supported by the St. Joseph Family in Port-au-Prince are safe, but fear hangs heavy. Safety is precarious, and danger can strike suddenly, even at home. The inability to attend school, access food and supplies, or to move about safely takes a toll, both physically and emotionally, on everyone affected.
As Walnes, the SJF treasurer and assistant director of the SJ Community Outreach Center shared recently, "Please pray for us. This is really a time of fear for many."
At Wings of Hope and Lekòl Sen Trinite, things are a bit more stable in terms of safety. Jacmel has not had the level of violence that Port-au-Prince has. However, as things become more desperate everywhere, and the population grows with those fleeing the capital, the level of crime is rising in Jacmel, with more robberies and home invasions.
Despite these challenges, Lekòl Sen Trinite continues to educate and feed students daily, while Wings of Hope provides housing, food, education, and medical care to those in need. However, both face mounting obstacles. With gangs controlling all routes in and out of Port-au-Prince, supply chain disruptions are worsening. Food is becoming increasingly scarce, and local stores are limiting bulk purchases due to rising demand and uncertainty about future supplies.
Last week Jacky went to buy food for Wings and was only able to purchase some of what he needed. "They don't want to give me two cases of milk, so I only got one. It was the same for bulgar wheat and tomato paste. These are the things to come in Jacmel," he said.
Fuel shortages are a growing crisis in Jacmel. Gas and diesel are nearly unavailable, and the city government now requires permits to purchase what little fuel remains. With no city power and limited fuel for generators, Wings of Hope has relied on solar power for years. However, the solar batteries now need replacing, leaving Wings in darkness at night—a vulnerability that increases the risk of crime.
Propane, essential for cooking, is also scarce and prohibitively expensive when it can be found. Wings of Hope has already transitioned to cooking over charcoal due to the propane shortage. After days of searching, Lekòl Sen Trinite managed to secure enough propane to cook for students through the end of November. To prepare for further shortages, they are now purchasing charcoal stoves and stockpiling charcoal to ensure they can continue feeding the students.
While our friends in Haiti face these overwhelming challenges, those of us outside of Haiti share in their feelings of fear and helplessness, limited in how we can assist due to the security situation. However, there are ways we can stand with them:
PRAY — Pray for the St. Joseph Family and all our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Pray that there may be calm and a reasonable solution to the problems there. Pray for guns to be laid down and for peace to prevail. Pray for families to be able to educate their children without worry. Pray for everyone to be fed and cared for.
SHARE — Share your stories of Haiti with your friends and family. Share the great things you see happening at the St. Joseph Family. Share the stories that aren’t making it into the news. Share the hope we can still help cultivate.
GIVE — Consider how generous you can be as you stand with the St. Joseph Family and the many economic difficulties the situation in Haiti is bringing us. We need your support now more than ever. Help us make sure there is food on the tables, books in the hands of students, and salaries for workers caring for those who count on us.
https://heartswithhaiti.org/general-donation/
https://www.friendsofsjf.org/ways-to-give.html
On Nov. 11, the gangs who are controlling Haiti shot at three commercial airplanes. The Spirit plane was landing when it was hit several times. They pulled out of the landing and went to the Dominican Republic. A flight attendant was grazed by a bullet, and you could see bullet holes in the door and overhead compartments. Bullet holes were found on the outside of JetBlue and American planes after regularly scheduled flights landed in the US. The Port-au-Prince airport immediately closed to all traffic, international and domestic. The next day, the FAA banned US-carrier flights from going to Haiti for 30 days. JetBlue and American have both announced they won’t fly to Haiti again until mid-February.
In Port-au-Prince, gangs are locked in near-constant battles with police and neighborhood vigilante groups, leaving dozens dead in recent days. Many homes have been set ablaze, and more than 20,000 people have been forced to flee their neighborhoods over the past two weeks, some in the dead of night, as violence erupted. Schools have closed, businesses are operating with limited hours if at all, and public transportation has come to a halt.
The Transitional Council tasked with restoring Haiti’s government dismissed the Prime Minister on November 10, appointing a new one the following day. Most of the outgoing Prime Minister's cabinet also left, plunging an already fragile government structure into further upheaval.
For now, the St. Joseph Family leadership and those supported by the St. Joseph Family in Port-au-Prince are safe, but fear hangs heavy. Safety is precarious, and danger can strike suddenly, even at home. The inability to attend school, access food and supplies, or to move about safely takes a toll, both physically and emotionally, on everyone affected.
As Walnes, the SJF treasurer and assistant director of the SJ Community Outreach Center shared recently, "Please pray for us. This is really a time of fear for many."
At Wings of Hope and Lekòl Sen Trinite, things are a bit more stable in terms of safety. Jacmel has not had the level of violence that Port-au-Prince has. However, as things become more desperate everywhere, and the population grows with those fleeing the capital, the level of crime is rising in Jacmel, with more robberies and home invasions.
Despite these challenges, Lekòl Sen Trinite continues to educate and feed students daily, while Wings of Hope provides housing, food, education, and medical care to those in need. However, both face mounting obstacles. With gangs controlling all routes in and out of Port-au-Prince, supply chain disruptions are worsening. Food is becoming increasingly scarce, and local stores are limiting bulk purchases due to rising demand and uncertainty about future supplies.
Last week Jacky went to buy food for Wings and was only able to purchase some of what he needed. "They don't want to give me two cases of milk, so I only got one. It was the same for bulgar wheat and tomato paste. These are the things to come in Jacmel," he said.
Fuel shortages are a growing crisis in Jacmel. Gas and diesel are nearly unavailable, and the city government now requires permits to purchase what little fuel remains. With no city power and limited fuel for generators, Wings of Hope has relied on solar power for years. However, the solar batteries now need replacing, leaving Wings in darkness at night—a vulnerability that increases the risk of crime.
Propane, essential for cooking, is also scarce and prohibitively expensive when it can be found. Wings of Hope has already transitioned to cooking over charcoal due to the propane shortage. After days of searching, Lekòl Sen Trinite managed to secure enough propane to cook for students through the end of November. To prepare for further shortages, they are now purchasing charcoal stoves and stockpiling charcoal to ensure they can continue feeding the students.
While our friends in Haiti face these overwhelming challenges, those of us outside of Haiti share in their feelings of fear and helplessness, limited in how we can assist due to the security situation. However, there are ways we can stand with them:
PRAY — Pray for the St. Joseph Family and all our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Pray that there may be calm and a reasonable solution to the problems there. Pray for guns to be laid down and for peace to prevail. Pray for families to be able to educate their children without worry. Pray for everyone to be fed and cared for.
SHARE — Share your stories of Haiti with your friends and family. Share the great things you see happening at the St. Joseph Family. Share the stories that aren’t making it into the news. Share the hope we can still help cultivate.
GIVE — Consider how generous you can be as you stand with the St. Joseph Family and the many economic difficulties the situation in Haiti is bringing us. We need your support now more than ever. Help us make sure there is food on the tables, books in the hands of students, and salaries for workers caring for those who count on us.
https://heartswithhaiti.org/general-donation/
https://www.friendsofsjf.org/ways-to-give.html
Wings of Hope - 30th Anniversary
November 2024
November 2024
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