Greetings!The situation in Jacmel and Haiti has gone from bad to worse. it’s shocking to hear what’s happening there and hard to imagine this is happening to people only 1,083 miles from the United States! People need our prayers and
for their survival.
Delpha Pierre Louis, CIDM Field Director shares the following:
- “No bottled water (we must find it at public faucets or use river water and boil it).
- Rice is barely found, (when found, price has quadrupled). Prices of other staple food such as oil, beans, corn are outrageously expensive.
- Most stores and businesses are closed
- Looting
- Starvation is real and is happening
- No gas or diesel
- Banks are closed
- Schools are closed
- No electricity & internet, unless you have a generator (which our office has) but very weak signals.
- Rioting, street barricades and violence
- Jacmel is now basically closed!”
“This is a war zone and we are in survival mode.”
HOW and WHY?
How and why has this happened? It’s been building for a long time! Gangs have taken over and paralyzed Porte Au Prince. The gangs have shut off all fuel to the country. Without fuel, the country can’t maintain. The lack of fuel and the life altering affects of it have caused city people in Jacmel and other cities to revolt within their own cities with riots and violence. Other issues they’re rioting against is Haiti’s national insecurity, high inflation, devaluation of the gourde (Haitian currency) and their desired oust of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. The “mob-mentality” has gripped hundreds of people who have caused this havoc in Jacmel. The challenges are real, but violence will never create a solution!
CIDM STAFF SAFETY
Our CIDM staff are safe, which is of utmost importance to us. We’re in contact with them often daily to ensure their safety. They stay home from the office when the days are too violent to walk to work (no fuel for motos). Their extended families are coming to them for financial help because in most families our staff are the only ones that have a job and earning money. They asked us this morning if we could please send extra money to help feed them and their extended families.
THE YOUTH WE MINISTER TO
Many of the youth we minister to, including the deaf, have been asking for food out of desperation, since there is no food in their houses and they’d not eaten at least 2 days. We’ve recently sent funds from current CIDM funds, and did two small food distributions. However, food prices are so high, it takes about 4X the funds today than 1 year ago to obtain the same food.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
As believers, prayer is our strongest weapon to tear down satan’s evil causing death and immense suffering to the precious Haitian people. God, give Haiti “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3). And we pray as Joseph declared to his brothers in Genesis 50:24 “you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good”.
Secondly, we can donate funds to CIDM to be used for food or anything else to sustain our staff, their families, the youth and the deaf we minster to and others.
Thank you for your prayers and support for all people within our reach. Food distributions are always given the name of Jesus, proclaiming His salvation and love for the people!
–Darlys Bird, Co-Founder/USA Director
