AMERICA/HAITI - "Our commitment continues unabated": the Camillians help the population between criticisms and some positive notes

Thursday, 28 October 2021

MI

Port au Prince (Agenzia Fides) - "The situation on the island is more and more dramatic, not only because of the earthquake of August 14 (see Fides, 25/8/2021) and the disasters caused by the passage of the storm Grace, but above all for the worsening of violence and of the armed gangs that have taken over and are in fact ruling the country (see Fides, 8/9/2021). The alarm was raised by the Camillian religious (MI) in Haiti through Father Antonio Menegon, a Camillian missionary who has worked on the island for years.
"Not only in the capital - adds the worried priest who is also president of the non-profit organization Madian Orizzonti of the MI - but this terrible reality is also spreading to other cities. Young people even join armed gangs as if it were a job like any other. The government is non-existent, the police forces are no longer able to control the situation, and along with the violence, the scourge of kidnappings continues unabated. In recent days, 15 American missionaries and two children have been abducted. Corruption is everywhere. The borders are closed and Haitians try to flee the country but are systematically rejected by everyone".
Father Menegon explains that the situation on the streets is difficult, "leaving the house is risky even for the most important supplies, such as food, fuel or medicines and the activity of the Foyer Saint Camille continues but with great effort. Oxygen supplies are starting to run out, while the Coronavirus epidemic is on the rise. The two roads that connect the Country, one in the North and one in the South, have been blocked by bandits for months and therefore it is risky to travel and transport goods because the norm is to be attacked".
"To the many emergencies that the island is experiencing, Fr. Menegon added the positive notes regarding the construction of the first school in Camp Perrin, hit by the earthquake, where the first students will pass through the door next December".
"We will continue to build other schools and houses for families who have been left without a roof", underlined the Camillian. In addition, the shipment of containers continues. "Three of them left between the end of September and the first days of October.
On October 29, the fourth container with sanitary equipment, diapers and food will leave. Our commitment continues unabated", he concludes. (AM/AP) (Agenzia Fides, 28/10/2021)


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