Displaying items by tag: Caribbean

Lebanon is trying to contain cholera in its most vulnerable communities. 290 cases and 11 deaths were confirmed since October 6th. Cholera is a bacterial infection caused by contaminated water or food, it spreads quickly and can kill within hours through severe dehydration. It’s completely preventable with clean water and sanitation access, usually provided by public utilities, but those empowered to deliver this have already made off with the money budgeted for the infrastructure. See Haiti is also grappling with cholera, and the timing couldn’t be worse. The previous outbreak killed nearly 10,000 people between 2010 and 2019. Now, over 1,700 cholera cases have been confirmed, half of them children, and 40 people have died so far. Haiti was already struggling under hostile gang takeovers in cities. A few medical centres try to treat cases, but they lack fuel, gangs blocking the seaport prevent fuel being released, bringing businesses and health facilities to a halt.

Haiti is in such a bad political, economic and security crisis that the USA has urged its citizens to leave the country. The government authorised prime minister Henry to ask the world for military help to stop gangs paralysing the country and causing a major humanitarian disaster. Powerful gangs have blocked the country's main fuel terminal since September, crippling basic water and food supplies. It is not clear to whom the request for intervention has been sent, and in what form the help would be given. The UN said, ‘We remain extremely concerned about the security situation in Haiti and the impact it is having on the Haitian people and on our ability to do our work, especially in the humanitarian sphere.’ Eight people died recently from cholera, raising concerns of a potential health crisis. Pray for the USA to act on Haiti’s previous request for a humanitarian corridor to restore fuel distribution.

Details have been outlined of temporary price control measures aimed at helping families to cope with mounting global inflation. The measures will affect 38 key staples such as eggs, bread, and sanitary towels. Prime minister Philip Davis announced the controls in a national address as part of broader measures to help the island nation, which imports many goods, to tackle the effects of rising price pressures globally. The controls, which limit price increases to 15% for wholesalers and 25% for retailers, will last six months, after which they will be subject to review. The prime minister remains confident that these additional measures will provide relief to Bahamian families. He also said the government would cut profit margins on price-controlled drugs and unveiled a $6 million investment in defence vessels, as they do not have the resources to deal with waves of undocumented migrants.

Haitians are surrounded by gang warfare. One of the largest gangs is 400 Mawozo who kill police officers. Outmanned and outgunned by well-armed gangs, police are demanding that the government back them up with better support and more equipment. The G9 is an alliance of nine gangs led by an ex-policeman. They control coastal ports and oil terminals, seize goods lorries, and extort money from businesses. An estimated 60% of Haiti’s capital is classed as ‘lawless’ by human rights groups. The city, similar in size to Los Angeles, is paralysed by dozens of gangs battling for power and territories. Once buzzing with nightlife, it now looks and feels like a ghost town. Shops are shut and residents have vacated homes, fearing of being caught in the crossfire. On city outskirts, huge swathes of the community are living from hand to mouth, without electricity or access to clean water.

Despite 2018’s change in leadership, Cuban churches face unrelenting pressure from a government that views churches as a threat to the revolution that began in the 1950s. Cubans are poor, and the government seeks to control every aspect of their lives. In April 2021, Miguel Diaz-Canel was announced as first secretary of the Communist Party, the first leader since the revolution who is not a Castro. Three months later Cubans protested over deteriorating living conditions and called for an end to dictatorship. Most Cubans are atheists and many engage in superstitious and spiritist practices, including Afro-Cuban Santeria. 11% are evangelical Christians. The government persecutes them and seizes churches. Believers meet in illegal house churches which are growing through active evangelism. Many Cubans have never owned a Bible. Many are closely watched and effectively under house arrest. Many are denied jobs. Pray for those distributing Bibles and supporting discipleship and evangelism.

In October we asked you to pray for the release and safe return of missionaries held hostage in Haiti. On 16 December the twelve Canadian and American missionaries made a daring night-time escape walking on rough moonlit terrain following the sheer guidance of the stars. After a number of hours of walking, day began to dawn, and they eventually found someone who helped them make a phone call for help. They were finally free. They had faced difficult and intense circumstances in captivity, including sweltering heat, mosquito bites and limited access to food.

Pastor Brant Cole took a team of teenagers to their sister church in Haiti. The night before they were to leave, Brant felt there was still something left that God wanted to do. As they drove through a village he saw a woman and stopped the truck; he needed to tell her about Jesus. The woman said she couldn’t receive Jesus; she was indebted to the devil. They told her repeatedly, ‘Christ died to take away every debt and sin in our past.’ Surprisingly, she invited them to her house. After sharing the gospel with her more fully, the power of the Word and Spirit burst into her and she was born again. Later, they discovered she was the local witchdoctor. Other Christians had witnessed the love of God to her for years, but she had refused. Then God brought a little team of willing teenagers from a distant land and created a miracle.

On 16 October a group of 17 Christian missionaries, including five children, were abducted by an armed gang in Haiti while returning from a visit to build an orphanage. Having travelled there with the US-based Christian Aid Ministries, they were seized when the gang set up roadblocks east of Port-au-Prince. The island has the worst global record for kidnapping, with gangs active in many areas. The notorious 400 Mawozo gang, known for kidnappings and killings, abducted the 16 Americans and one Canadian, as they were travelling to the airport where some were due to fly home. One of the abducted Americans sent a WhatsApp message calling for help as the kidnapping took place. It read, ‘Please pray for us! We are being held hostage; they kidnapped our driver. Pray pray pray. We don’t know where they are taking us.’ Among those kidnapped is an 8-month-old baby: see

As if Haiti doesn’t have enough to deal with, gang activity is now complicating earthquake relief efforts. The earthquake death toll stands at 2,200 with at least 340 still missing. Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is conducting emergency medical flights and flying in aid. But since the roads aren’t a great option for transporting relief, the need is overwhelming. MAF’s Dave McCleery says, ‘Gang activity has affected Port-au-Prince for a long time. They have taken control of and closed the main roads into the southern peninsula where the earthquake took place. This is a real concern because of the large quantity of aid that’s needed. We can certainly fly in and deliver it, but it’s much more expensive and takes a lot longer than if it’s delivered by road.’

The devastation grows daily following a 7.2 magnitude earthquake killing over 2,000 and injuring 10,000; many are still missing. Tropical storm Grace hovered directly over the quake-ravaged portion of Haiti for two days, adding more misery to displaced survivors. Many hospitals are damaged. Medics attempt to transfer patients to Port-au-Prince. One hospital is treating severely injured victims in tents outside the building. On 18 August people were still arriving with broken limbs. Storm Grace has hindered humanitarian aid or the need to assess the extent of the damage. UNICEF said aid to 1.2 million people, including 540,000 children, will cost $15 million. 385,000 are most urgently in need; 167,000 are children. Thousands of buildings were destroyed. People camp out in fields where UNICEF distributes blankets, hygiene and kitchen kits, plus shelter repair items for 30,000 people. They need medical staff, supplies, and full access to electricity and water. Dictatorships and natural disasters have left 59% of Haitians living in poverty. Pray for political stability.