Haiti Faces a Desperate Situation
We remain heartbroken by the turmoil Haiti faces at CMMB. This Caribbean nation is where CMMB’s commitment to serve our brothers and sisters in need began. For decades, we have witnessed Haiti’s resilient people confront crisis after crisis. Natural disasters and extreme poverty—and now, unrelenting gang violence fueled by political instability—have brought Haiti to its breaking point.
The situation in Haiti is dire. Armed gangs control nearly all of Port-au-Prince and are expanding their hold beyond the capital. Amid worsening violence, even the most ordinary activities—going to work, attending school, or seeing a doctor—pose life-threatening risks. Businesses are shuttered, leaving people unemployed and struggling to support their families.
Haiti’s crisis seems poised to deepen. Already, more than 5.7 million people are struggling to find food to eat. Following unprecedented cuts to humanitarian aid, food supplies and funding sources are dwindling, and a potentially disastrous hurricane season is about to start. Attempts to solve Haiti’s governance crisis have so far remained unsuccessful.
Like other organizations working in Haiti, CMMB remains committed to reaching women, children, and communities with access to healthcare, while keeping our staff safe. But without support, the Haitian people’s already immense suffering will increase.
A Shattered Health System
The worsening gang violence has devastated Haiti’s fragile healthcare system: More than 60% of hospitals in the country are non-operational. The health facilities that remain open struggle to keep essential medications in stock and are often targets of looting and violence.
40% of Haiti’s health workforce has left the country. With clinics either closed, inaccessible due to violence, or overrun, Haitians struggle to access health services. Tragically, this means treatable illnesses can quickly turn deadly. Clinics and people living with HIV report persistent medicine shortages and fear that their medications may run out.
The situation has forced a record number of Haitians to flee their home, displacing 1.3 million people. Displaced families often live in unsafe situations, without reliable access to food, safe water, and proper sanitation.
Supporting Haiti’s Resilient People
Amidst challenging circumstances, CMMB continues to provide critical services to people in need, like Julien, a mother of eight who lives in Les Cayes, southern Haiti. Julien was diagnosed with diabetes a few years ago at a hospital supported by CMMB’s partner, Hope for Haiti. Thanks to donations provided by CMMB, Julien receives diabetes medication free of charge, helping her stay healthy.
Last year, gang activity blocked the only road to Les Cayes. The facility Julien relies on ran out of medicine, threatening her health.
But Hope for Haiti found a way. Our trusted partner worked with the only commercial airline operating in Haiti to fly to Les Cayes, delivering vital medicines to Julien and other patients.
“Working with CMMB has shown that together, we can change things for the better—even in the smallest, most remote areas of Haiti,” shared Yvette Ebb, Hope for Haiti’s Gift-In-Kind Director.
We are grateful for the dedication of CMMB’s team in Haiti as they continue to meet health promotion, disease prevention, and quality care delivery goals. Our activities continue in Côtes-de-Fer, near CMMB-supported Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan Hospital. For example, anticipating vaccine shortages, we worked with partners to transport and distribute essential childhood vaccinations. As more people flee the capital, we support staff at health facilities to serve the displaced population.
Haiti’s people are strong, but they cannot survive this crisis alone. CMMB remains committed to working with our trusted partners to deliver vital health services in Haiti, bringing hope in dark times to people like Julien and her family.
