October 1, 2022
Hello from Haiti!
Simmering tension explodes.
It seems that Haiti always has some level of tension moving under the surface. This small nation has repeatedly been taken advantage of by its neighbors, nearby and far away. Furthermore, poor leadership historically appears to be more focused on enriching themselves rather than caring about a hungry population. Endemic poverty keeps many people on edge as they struggle to make ends meet. After a somewhat quiet summer, the tension erupted into widespread civil unrest and chaos in September.
It's a crisis on three levels.
Haiti is facing an intertwined political crisis, a security crisis, and an economic crisis all taking place at the same time. The most recent round of trouble started with the assignation of the president last year. The prime minister has taken over the leadership of the country, with no elections in sight. The senate has been dissolved, so in effect it is a matter of rule by decree with no accountability. This angers many people.
Gangs have taken advantage of the political vacuum and now control substantial portions of the country. Thanks to a complicit international community involved in arms smuggling, the gangs are often better armed than the national police force. Outnumbered and overpowered, the police cannot regain control. The gangs have closed travel routes on major roads, bringing movement and commerce to a standstill. The nation is effectively on lockdown, with people stuck where they are.
The result is that the economy has crashed. Inflation has skyrocketed in recent months, often doubling the cost of basic necessities in a very short period of time. Further aggravating the situation, the government announced an immediate cancelation of fuel subsidies in September, instantly doubling the price of gasoline at the pump to about $5.00US per gallon. But due to the security situation, fuel cannot move throughout the country. The result is that fuel can only be purchased on the black market at prices reaching $35.00US per gallon. You can imagine what this does to the overall economy. The sudden price increase was like putting a match to dry tinder, and the population exploded. Understandably, thousands of people have taken to the streets in massive protests, further crippling the nation. Widespread looting is taking place, with institutions such as churches, banks, cell service, hospitals, markets, and so forth being forced to close due to a lack of fuel and insecurity.
Pray. Just pray.
Haiti needs our prayers now more than ever. At this moment, our clinic staff and other friends are OK, but stressed. The clinic has been able to operate intermittently, but patient count is low due to transportation difficulties. Please pray for their well-being. It is a small matter by comparison, but we shipped the clinic's solar system during a period of relative calm. It is now in the port, but it is uncertain how it can move from the port to the clinic. Pray for its safe arrival at the clinic. Pray for a divine intervention that will bring peace and order to the country. At this time we are not asking you to do anything other than to pray. This is truly a God-sized problem that needs a God-sized answer!
