Please join us in praying for our friends in Haiti as they face this pandemic. Our ministry partners at GVCM recently posted a very insightful article about how they are weathering this Covid storm.
Strength During a Global Pandemic
On March 16, 2020, in response to the spread of the coronavirus, Haiti closed its borders to the Dominican Republic and suspended most flights. Just three days later, on March 19, it declared a state of emergency, declaring that all ports, airports and borders would be closed to travel and imposed a curfew for all citizens. The coronavirus was slow to come to Haiti, partly due to a significant decline in tourism recently. But with the influx of laid-off migrant workers returning from the Dominican Republic, where cases were surging, it didn’t take long for cases of the virus in Haiti to reach the thousands. The nation’s health care system is so weak, Haitians regularly die of easily treatable ailments like diarrhea. A large-scale outbreak of the coronavirus would be devastating to this already suffering country. As if the decade had not been challenging enough, with a horrific earthquake, cholera outbreak, and a deadly hurricane, once again Haiti is facing another humanitarian crisis.
With the number of reported cases seemingly low for a population of around 11 million, many experts believe the actual cases are much higher. In Haiti there is a stigmatization of people with Covid-19, keeping many from seeking medical care. The number of tests is scarce compared to the rest of the world. But Pastor Yves believes low Covid-19 case numbers are a blessing from God. “The people in Haiti can handle sickness. They are used to it. They are strong and resilient. The psychology of what is happening has been more detrimental to the people than physical sickness. God has been merciful to us. This could have been a very destructive situation with the Dominican Republic having over 65,000 cases. God has protected us. Covid-19 has not had much effect on Mirebalais and the Central Plateau. We have been under the Lord’s protective umbrella. God’s grace has been upon Haiti. God will not give us a burden we can’t carry.”
