Haiti Has Faced Crisis after Crisis
Haiti has faced crisis after crisis. Tragically, today is no exception.
Just weeks ago, deadly flooding and severe landslides violently swept through most of the country. They were followed by an earthquake, causing even more destruction and suffering. Innocent lives were lost and thousands more displaced in this tragedy that has impacted almost 40,000 families. As we urgently work to assess needs with our local colleagues, please keep the people of Haiti in your prayers. They have experienced few moments of relief…
For over two years, relentless political instability and gang violence have put the economy at a debilitating standstill. Even before the floods, roads were often impassable due to violence, and access to life-sustaining food was severely limited. This is a deadly consequence for a country where over half its people face hunger.
One of the forgotten realities of living through a crisis is that new challenges don’t replace those that pre-existed. Hospitals still face severe shortages of essential medications and supplies; mothers still face life-threatening complications during pregnancy; and children still fall dangerously ill from preventable causes. The reality is that new challenges worsen those that already exist, causing more shortages, more suffering, and more deaths.
This is the burden that CMMB staff in Haiti carry. It is the burden that Haitian communities—leaders, healthcare workers, parents, and children—carry with them every day. And yet they persist—with grace, commitment, and lifesaving success.
Alongside the ministry of health, CMMB continues to make progress ensuring women have safe pregnancies, and newborns the healthiest start at life. We continue to support access to safe, clean water, especially as people are needlessly losing their lives to cholera. And we continue to be a leader in HIV care and prevention. So much so that the CDC in Haiti recognized our team for achieving the best rate for ensuring people with HIV receive and stay on treatment—saving lives and building bright futures.
None of this would be possible without our staff’s commitment to carry this burden for the most vulnerable, the trust they have earned from their communities and, importantly, your belief in them and our mission.
Thanks to your inspiring generosity, CMMB is there for the people of Haiti today, in times of crisis, and beyond.