Haiti (MNN) — Haiti has no reported coronavirus cases so far, but it has more than its share of hunger, conflict, and theft.
Eve DeHart from For Haiti With Love says, “In Haiti, they’ve reported no cases. So, the impact on Haiti right now is people stealing gloves and mask and [sterile equipment] from the hospitals to take to the DR and sell because the DR does have the virus.” In fact, Haiti is now closing its border with the Dominican Republic.
So even though there are no reported coronavirus cases so far, people who have medical conditions often can’t get the care they need because supplies have been stolen.
The burn clinic
Map showing Haiti and the border with the Dominican Republic. (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
At For Haiti with Love’s burn clinic, tight security has largely prevented any theft of supplies, and their last order came in before suppliers started running out. DeHart says, “We can continue treating the burn [patients] and not worrying about exposing them to anything. But with God’s blessing it will just stay out of Haiti. Because Haiti doesn’t need that additional layer of problems.”
“Right now,” DeHart says, “Haiti’s biggest problem is the lack of security, particularly down in Port-au-Prince. Because the problem is the police; they’re doing the rioting and setting tires on fire. They’re doing all of the rebellion stuff.” DeHart says the police want more pay, but the government doesn’t have enough money to give it to them.
Before this, the military and police were actively fighting each other. And this lack of safety brings with it a food shortage since food trucks aren’t safe in the North of the country. DeHart says, “They will either get robbed by the police or they’ll get robbed by the bad guys. And so, they can’t go out on the road to move the food from the farms where it’s grown to the cities where it’s needed.”
Treating people
Haitian police badge. (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
With everything that is happening in the country, burn victims often hear the love of Christ at the clinic. DeHart says, “They’re very receptive in listening to it because they’re really seeking some sort of answer outside of themselves for everything is going on around them, including the fact that they’ve just been severely burned and they’re dealing with an excessive amount of pain.”
Though the major focus in the clinic is treating burns, the Gospel has the power to change the lives of burn victims who come in.
DeHart encourages Christians to pray that Haiti would stabilize and that politicians and police would somehow reconcile. Pray also that the coronavirus does not visit the country, but that the Holy Spirit would bring unprecedented healing to Haiti and its people.
Port-au-Prince. So far no cases of coronavirus have been reported in Haiti. (image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
