An Update on Haiti's Current Situation

As the pickup truck with Benson and 3 others of the RMI staff pulled up to the roadblock a couple of hours from the RMI office it was evident that they were not going to get to the sister churches they had planned on visiting that day.  There was a large crowd at the front of the long line of vehicles and trucks that had been blocked from continuing on their way.  It was evident this roadblock had been started early that morning.  The rocks and tree trunks across the road were very effective.  After a while, Benson decided that it was time to turn around and head back home.  He knew he was not going any further today. 

That was 10 months ago.  That was the beginning of the political issues that have continued to plague Haiti since that time.  Ever since then the political situation has been getting, as they say in Haiti, “hotter and hotter”.  Roadblocks, political demonstrations, and more have become the norm for the country, even more so the last several months.  This has caused great turmoil, strife, and suffering all over Haiti.  No community has been unaffected.

The roadblocks and demonstrations have caused a shutdown in business as deliveries cannot be made especially out into the country areas.   Businesses are being shut down all over Haiti as employees cannot get to work, factories cannot get their contracts produced resulting in lost business, amid many other issues.  Fuel has become a major issue as delivery trucks cannot deliver fuel anywhere.  Gas stations are out of fuel or are simply not open due to the potential for violence.  The lack of fuel has become a huge issue all over Haiti at this time and is, ironically, causing even more demonstrations, which is making the shortages even worse.  Electricity is non-existent. 

Since February, these issues have caused most mission organizations in Haiti to have to cancel their teams.  This has meant that several hundred teams that would have been all over Haiti, including RMI’s teams, were not able to help, encourage, and engage with the Haitian people.  The hundreds of thousands of dollars of aid and funding that would have helped all those local economies were lost or delayed.  The Gospel that would have been preached by these teams hand in hand with our Haitian brothers and sisters was lost.  Many organizations are facing grave financial losses that could result in the layoff of hundreds of staff around the country.  All this has dramatically affected the Haitian churches and their communities in negative ways. 

The lack of travel, deliveries, and the shutdown of all basic services is producing a humanitarian crisis.  The UN last week stated that 38% of the entire population of Haiti is experiencing food scarcity.  This is official speak for “hunger or extreme hunger”.  So many all over Haiti have not been able to make money, get their goods to market, or just have run out of food with no idea as to when it will be available.  This is the same in South Haiti. Not only is the scarcity an issue, but the cost in many areas for the food available has risen by 500% or more.  So many of our Haitian churches are sharing that there is great hunger in their areas, especially in the far rural areas being the worst off.  

Not only are these issues impacting the Haitians in so many dreadful ways, but RMI has also suffered a huge impact as well.  The greatest impact has been the 22 canceled teams that have not been able to engage with their brothers and sisters in Christ, to encourage them, or participate in sharing the Gospel together into their community.  The loss of relationship is one of the great ministry losses of this year. 

RMI Haiti's office is open as much as possible as long as it is safe to do so.  They are taking a number of measures to keep our staff and properties safe as well.  Ministry is hampered but the safety of everyone is our top priority.  The missionary families are feeling good about continuing to stay where they are.  Occasionally they're able to get to town to replenish their food and household needs and they often work from home.

Hope for Kidz schools haven't been exempt from the impacts of the political unrest.  Schools have been forced to close on days when protesters are active in the area.  The safety and advancement of our students are critical to all of us.  Therefore, we continue to monitor the schools for attendance and lesson scheduling as often as possible and when it is safe for our staff to travel into the affected areas.

Churches, principals and parents are rising up to voice their desire to see schools remain open and affected students are doing their best to stay current with their studies.  Schools are working to make up lost days.  It's encouraging that so much of the population is pressing for peace so that schools can remain open. 

The general Haitian population is getting very tired of being kept at home, away from work and school.  As we said, parents want their kids back in school!  Many are venturing out to try to live some semblance of normal life.  There are glimpses of light as stores open, and fuel is able to make its way out to Cayes and to the mission center.  These are good signs, ones that we pray continues.   

Pray for the financial provision for RMI.  The loss of teams also means the loss of one of the main sources of income for our Haiti Operational Budget.  We rely on those funds for our staff salaries as well as many other things in the day-to-day operations of the ministry. 

RMI just happens to be in the middle of our annual food drive with our boxes of 216 prepared meals at the lowest cost of the year.  Pray that our US churches can use this to provide for the needy in their Haitian partner communities. 

Beyond praying for the financial provision for RMI, please pray for the political situation.  Without getting into a lot of detail, the opposition wants the President to resign, and the President so far is not interested in that option.  There is beginning to be more international pressure to get this resolved but so far there are no good options.   Our prayer is that this will get resolved by the middle of December so we can assure our Spring teams all is well and they will be able to get to embrace their brothers and sisters in their partner churches.  Also, pray for the “food scarcity” issues being suffered by so many in south Haiti.  Thank you for your love and care for your Haitian brothers and sisters as well as RMI’s staff and ministries.