Published Thu, Oct 03, 19.
Written by Rebecca Honorat.
News articles are saying that Haiti is entering into it’s third week of violent protests but the fire was never extinguished when the country was “locked” in February, and the pot has just been simmering since then… and it started boiling over again three weeks ago.
The most recent fuel that was added to the fire is actually real fuel this time… gas & diesel. There is a country wide fuel shortage making what is available hard to find and very expensive, not to mention dangerous to obtain when mobs are fighting for it.
Having a fuel crisis affects all aspects of life in Haiti, and spans across all social classes.
People who are used to having their houses powered by generators are having to get used to life without power (no fridges, no water being pumped, no washing machines, no fans, no a/c, no internet).
People who own businesses have been crippled (limited power, no delivery trucks, no customers, perishable food perishing).
People who have a truck or motorcycle tap-tap business can’t make a profit as fuel is either too expensive or not available. People who relied on tap-taps for transportation are walking, or just staying put.
People who don’t have food stored at home are not able to find any within walking distance.
People who don’t have cash stashed away for an emergency aren’t able to purchase what does become available.
The closure list is large… businesses, banks, schools, gas stations. The list of protests, blocked roads & burning barricades is also long, and changing by the hour. People are tired of the uncertainty and many are very hungry, and feeling desperate.
I still believe the “cause” of this current unrest is mainly political… eight of the political parties opposing the current President (all of whom have members in prominent positions within the current government, mostly in the Senate) have banded together. They are furious that the current President is not allowing them to continue in their corrupt ways (ie: having their own personal companies get the government contracts without accountability). The opposition coalition is paying gangs to wreak havoc in order to limit the effectiveness of the President and give the International Community the impression that he is incapable… and they have been quite successful in doing so this past year. The fuel shortage is a problem of its own but the opposition coalition is using it to build up the fire, and they are demanding that the President is removed from office.
Many international businesses & charities have already limited visitors to essential personnel only (since February), and as things are boiling over again they are now feeling weary and uncertain for the future. Everyone’s experience in Haiti is different, as is everyone’s opinion of the problems and the best solutions, but one thing we all seem to agree on lately is that the pot is going to crack if it doesn’t get off the fire soon!!
People are crying out for change – they are crying out to their government, their communities, the international community and in some cases they are literally crying out loud in the middle of the streets. This picture was taken in Port-au-Prince yesterday (by a missionary who gave permission to share it) and it is a powerful image of the heartache felt across the country.
Please continue to pray for Haiti.
