UPDATE: April 30, 2008 - Escalating food prices still plague Haiti, where 70 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day. All 226 Compassion child development centers are operating normally and long-term action plans are being drawn up to address the crisis. No Compassion-assisted children have been physically affected by the crisis. Other non-governmental organizations are helping provide temporary relief to the broad population of Haiti, but relief supplies are rapidly declining.
Please pray for God's provision and favor during this time.
Compassion Haiti will provide updates as information becomes available.
Compassion International will contact you if your sponsored child has been affected.
UPDATE: April 15, 2008 - All Compassion Haiti child development centers have resumed normal operations. The country's violence and looting has subsided. Haitians are able to go to the markets, and businesses have reopened.
Compassion Partnership Facilitators are meeting with child development center staff regarding the individual needs of each child. No child development centers or children have been directly affected by the looting or violence, and though Compassion-assisted families are affected by the high rate of inflation all have access to necessary staples.
UPDATE: April 10, 2008 - The situation in Haiti has become more tenuous. Riots have forced schools and businesses to suspend activities temporarily. The Senate of Haiti is urging Prime Ministe Jacques Edouard Alexis to resign amid the growing discord of soaring inflation and impending famine.
No Compassion-assisted children have been directly affected by the violence or lack of access to necessities. However, child development centers and the Compassion Haiti office have closed temporarily as a safety measure.
Compassion employees are not currently visiting child development centers until the situation is stabilized. The country management team in Haiti is gathering and assessing information through local partnership facilitators based in each community.
April 8, 2008 - A lack of social and economic development in Haiti has caused living conditions to deteriorate significantly since the last presidential election two years ago. The unemployment rate is over 60 percent and widespread inflation has caused a dramatic rise in the price of vital products such as fuel and food. As a result, the country is facing a vast famine, and protests have occurred throughout the country.
No Compassion child development centers have been directly affected. All are operational and are conducting program activities as normal.
