Haiti: Hunger Causes Rioting
In recent weeks, Haiti’s people have used the expression “eating bleach” to describe their burning hunger pains.
They say it’s as if their stomachs are on fire.
As food prices increase, many Haitians have resorted to eating dirt cakes baked with oil to quell their hunger pains. Photo credit: Marcia Wilson/flickr.com
This week, frustrations boiled over in the capital, Port-au-Prince, as angry Haitians protested soaring food prices.
Haiti imports staple foods – and the cost of rice has skyrocketed 50 percent since last year, putting enormous pressure on households struggling to survive on less than a dollar a day.
In Port-au-Prince this week, World Relief’s staff members were unable to report for work because of rioting in the streets.
In the capital, Dr. Hubert Morquette, World Relief Country Director, asks for your prayers at this tense time:
- For peace to be restored in Haiti;
- For the safety of World Relief’s staff and volunteers;
- For lasting solutions to the current food crisis.
Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world – and it’s just a few hundred miles off the coast of Florida.
World Relief has been working hard to combat poverty and hunger in Haiti since the 1990s – serving the most vulnerable populations, especially children and orphans.
Please consider helping Haiti’s suffering children at this critical moment with a donation that will enable World Relief and local churches to save lives now.
Thank you for your prayers and your support.
