Crisis in Haiti worsens

What started out as a protest against soaring food prices has now turned into a political catastrophe for Haiti. The crisis that began last week in the southern city of Les Cayes has only worsened as Haitian lawmakers fired the prime minister on Saturday, and a U.N. peacekeeper was killed in Port-au-Prince, the sixth death during the food riots.

As protestors outside the National Palace demanded that President Rene Preval resign, lawmakers voted to oust Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis, effectively putting Haiti in a severe leadership crisis. Alexis was a close ally of the president, and his removal left President Preval politically helpless and without a chief executive.

Yuri Latortue, one of the lawmakers who voted to oust Alexis, said that he believes this decision was a good compromise between the government and those opposed to Preval’s leadership. "I think [the ousting of Alexis] will satisfy the people", Latortue said.

However, not all Haitians agree. The high cost of living persists, the government is virtually non-existent, and there is no guarantee when a new administration may be put in place.

Although Preval has pledged to subsidize rice for Haitians, dropping the price for a 50-pound sack from $51 to $43, and international aid from the World Bank will help bring in 364 tons of food, including chicken, milk, and lentils, violence continues in Haiti. A Nigerian U.N. peacekeeper was killed execution-style in a crowded marketplace in Port-au-Prince on Saturday.

More than ever before, Haiti needs your help. Giving to International Child Care will allow our staff to continue delivering vital health services in spite of higher prices and political unrest. Please keep the people of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, as well as the staff at International Child Care, in your thoughts and prayers.