May 9, 2024

The gang violence that had been plaguing Haiti for the past few years escalated following the resignation of the Haitian prime minister, Ariel Henry, in late April 2024. Despite the appointment of an interim prime minister, gunmen continued to launch continuing attacks in the capital city, Port-au-Prince, burning homes and exchanging gunfire with police. As of early May, an estimated 90,000 people have fled the violence in Port-au-Prince with this number continuing to rise in the face of ongoing attacks. And as the displaced seek safety in crowded shelters, torrential rainfall has been adding to the challenges families face in finding food, clean water, and health care.

World Renew Haiti asks for your prayers as we support the work of our network peers and local partners to extend Christ’s love and hope to people displaced by the violence in Port-au-Prince and nearby Kenscoff. Following a thorough assessment, one of our network peers is focused on providing cash transfers so families can address their immediate food needs. They are also working to distribute hygiene kits, drinking water and water purification tablets, and other essentials to displaced people, as well as to people who are offering the displaced shelter, despite facing financial struggles themselves. Families have endured unimaginable trauma, so this peer is also working to recruit mental health professionals to provide psychological support, including specific training on trauma and technical intervention to help the most severely impacted people, especially children. Thanks to gifts like yours, World Renew has been able to commit funds to support these crucial efforts.

Though the situation continues to be challenging, World Renew stands firm in our belief that with God all things are possible, and we trust him to deliver mercy and renewed hope to the Haitian people. All our local partners’ offices are located in Port-au-Prince but, trusting in God, they continue program work as security permits, and we continue to monitor the situation to see how best we can respond to emergency needs. We pray for God’s wisdom, guidance, and protection for our partners, our network peers, and staff as they work to extend God’s love to the people impacted by this crisis. Thank you for your prayers and support.