Haiti Update | Humanitarian Crisis - April 23, 2024

We are deeply grateful for the support following our most recent update on the devastating humanitarian crisis happening right now in Haiti. The quick responses and generosity from the Mission of Hope community are making a real difference at this very moment, helping get food to the hungry across the country.

The situation in Haiti remains dire, with countless individuals and families facing unimaginable hardships amidst the chaos. The UN report last month stated that 1.4 million people in Haiti were a step away from famine. Unfortunately, we know that number has grown as we continue to receive calls stating that the elderly and children are literally dying of starvation. Over 4.4 million people do not know where their next meal will come from.

It can be tempting to gloss over the staggering numbers and see it as just that, a number. But these numbers represent children, parents, sisters, brothers, and grandparents—made in the image of God and experiencing unimaginable circumstances.

Danielson is a 13-year-old boy living in Cap-Haïtien in the north of Haiti. He is in the 5th grade, and dreams of becoming a civil engineer—a fitting dream since his favorite subject is math. Like many kids, he loves to ride his bicycle. The school he attends is part of the Mission of Hope nutrition program, so he receives a meal at school every day. But he knows what extreme hunger is like, and he shared that with our team recently.

If you don’t have food every day, it can be extremely difficult and distressing. Hunger constantly consumes you, making it difficult to focus on the important things. Your energy level decreases, making it difficult to complete daily tasks or concentrate in school.

Today, we feel a heavy responsibility but also unwavering hope. Hope, because we know that together, we have the ability to make a life-changing impact in the lives of those who are currently trapped in the terror of hunger, uncertainty, gang violence, and intense fear.

Our heroic Haitian team of 380 employees in the country reports a stark increase in food insecurity, with many having no access to the basic necessities that we often take for granted. Children, the elderly, and families are enduring extreme hunger, with no clear way out of the turmoil engulfing their communities. In addition to the hunger, they’re also in fear of losing their lives and homes as the gang violence rapidly escalates and moves throughout the city and out to the rural areas. The UN estimates upwards of 310,000 people are already internally displaced within their own country, starting over in new villages with just the belongings they could escape with from their homes.

Many of the Mission of Hope Village Champions and partner schools are welcoming these new families into their village as they try to acclimate to a new normal. This comes with an added burden to the villages as they seek to stretch already scarce resources—that could not sustain their own community—to include displaced families.

Our immediate response continues to be focused on providing life-saving food to those in the greatest need. With your support, we’ll prayerfully be able to provide enough food to sustain thousands of vulnerable Haitian families in the coming months.

Simply put, we need you. Your support, no matter the amount, can bring hope and tangible relief to those facing hunger every day. Together, we can demonstrate the power of collective action and compassion in times of crisis.

Here's how you can help: