“We will cry out to You in calamity and plague, and You will hear us and save us”
[Oct.29.2022] The number of cholera cases is increasing rapidly in Haiti, a Caribbean island country that is suffering from extreme social unrest and gang violence. U.N. humanitarian coordinator Ulrika Richardson said in a blog post on the U.N. website on the 25th (local time), “The number of people infected with cholera in Haiti is on the rise,” adding, “the situation is getting more difficult.”
Richardson, who recently visited cholera treatment centers in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, said, “For children suffering from malnutrition, even getting IV injections in their arms and legs seemed difficult. Speed is important in curbing the outbreak and saving lives.”
Citing data from the Haitian Ministry of Health, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Americas, said 1,972 confirmed and suspected patients were reported as of that day. In particular, the number of suspected patients nearly doubled between the 20th and the 23rd.
“The number of suspected Haitian cholera cases has increased from about 1,000 (during this period) to nearly 2,000,” UN spokesman Stephen Dujarric said. So far, 41 people have died. Fifty-three percent of patients are under the age of 19. The most affected age group is 1-4 years old, followed by 5-9 years old, the Pan-American Health Organization explained.
“We are in a situation where Haitian residents cannot move freely due to extreme social unrest and lack of fuel,” Richardson said. “This unrest has complicated the cholera response, but on the other hand, it may have helped prevent a worse spread.”
Health authorities are conducting an epidemiological investigation as cholera has also been found to have spread into neighboring Dominican Republic.
Meanwhile, a journalist who was reported missing was found dead in Haiti after being unable to locate his whereabouts for several days. The unrest is continuing that another famous journalist, Robertson Alfons, has barely survived after being shot by a gunman.
They have reportedly been “targeted” by gang members since the assassination of President Jovnell Moise last year as they continued to report and criticize the gang.
If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us. (2 Chronicles 20:9)
God, have mercy on Haiti which is groaning with deepening chaos and rampant infectious diseases. Let every country that hears the terrible news reach out for help as soon as possible and stand as a blessed channel to protect young lives from malnutrition and cholera. In addition, as churches stand before the temple and the LORD and reach out to the people of Haiti and pray, may Your salvation be revealed in all hardships.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
