Getting cargo where it needs to be is taking a bite out of the budget.
Haiti (MNN) ― Haitian President Rene Preval has nominated a new prime minister. Robert Manuel has been named to the post amid a political crisis marked by soaring food prices and fuel shortages.
For Haiti With Love's Eva DeHart says that in 40 years of ministry in Haiti, she's never seen it this bad. "The city of Cap Haitien also runs on diesel, so when there's no diesel in the country, particularly in the North, then the city has no power, which then puts you on your own generators and inverters." And that's taking its toll, says DeHart, putting "additional strain on our own diesel and inverter system. We're looking to find 24 batteries for the inverter, at $135 each." They're looking for 24 good batteries, but getting them to the team may be difficult. The batteries can't be shipped from the U.S. under the 9/11 changes.
For Haiti With Love needs the lights on to keep meeting the physical and spiritual needs: "To keep the clinic and the food program functioning gives us the opportunity to share God's blessing every time we have a patient in front of us in the clinic, every time we provide food for people who have no other way of getting it."
Governemnt officials are trying to figure out how to stabilize the price of rice so that the poor will be able to afford it. For now, according to the FHWL report, the price of a bag of rice will be fixed at $43, which translates to about $50 US per bag in the Haitian market.
However, the global cost of rice has not stopped climbing, and it is expected that by the end of June, the cost of a 110# bag of rice could jump to $70 US. DeHart says there aren't enough funds to keep rice at $43 bag if the open market price for the importers gets that high.
To put it in perspective, the average Haitian income is at or below $2 per day. However, a cup of rice purchased from a vendor is $5, more than two days' wages. FHWL did manage to get their recent shipment of food off the wharf before it spoiled, so they will be able to help many people in the immediate future.
Please continue to lift FHWL in prayer before the Lord. Pray that there would be peace in the region, that FHWL would be able to continue meeting the physical needs of the people, and that those feeding the hungry would be a good testimony of Christ.
