Gang violence that has plagued Haiti is affecting a local ministry’s work in bringing food into the country.
New Mercy Ministries is a non-profit organization based in Belleville that has been helping support the people in Haiti through areas such as food and schooling since 2003.
The ministry has supported Haiti through earthquakes and Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
Recently, gang violence has been plaguing the country culminating in Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announcing his resignation once a transitional presidential council is created.
Director of New Mercy Ministries, Rick Langstaff, says the situation in Haiti is the worst he’s seen in the more than 20 years he has been going down to the country.
“It just seems every time we take two steps forward, there’s three steps backwards with something else and the country goes upside down with the government,” Langstaff tells Quinte News.
“We’re at a point right now (where we say) how do we help today’s mess down there? So that’s where we’re at today.”
Langstaff says the ministry is unable to bring food into the country because all of the major airports are being watched by gangs.
“I have a friend that’s working in the north of the country and he’s got a little strip there and he’s from Canada and they’re still doing medical runs, but they’re not going into Port-Au-Prince at all because the gangs are at the airport,” Langstaff said.
“There’s lots of shots being fired down there right now.”
The situation has gotten dire to the point where the ministry has taken in one of the orphans under refugee status.
They had come into Canada on a volunteer visa before the violence in Haiti exploded.
“One of the first orphans that we sponsored down there, when I first went down, he’s living in my house right now,” Langstaff tells Quinte News.
“He’s got an interview coming up so we’re doing what we can for him … It’s sad for him but right now we can’t get food in there. So we got to send money down and that’s still open, the channels, through the banks. We can still send money down and get the wages paid and buy as much food as you possibly can.”
The ministry supports another ministry in Les Cayes, Haiti.
For now, they are still able to support people in the area through the banking system and providing monetary support.
“There’s still some food there so we’re just kind of seeing what we can do, raise more funds and send some money down, they can buy up what they can for the kids and for the families, to the church and that down there. So it’s one thing after another,” Langstaff said.
Those looking to donate can visit the New Mercy Ministry’s website.
