Entertainment
Haiti: Thousands displaced with new violence amidst humanitarian crisis
Thousands of people have been displaced in the new outbreak of armed violence in Haiti in the Artibonite and West departments, increasing the severity of the emergency on humanitarian aid, disrupting healthcare services and increasing forced returns. Despite these challenges, the local church communities continue to sustain education, pastoral outreach, and humanitarian activities.
By Sr. Christine Masivo, CPS
There is a great humanitarian crisis in Haiti, and it continues to worsen as renewed armed violence forces more families to flee their homes and further strain already fragile public services. The International Organization for Migrants (IOM) reported that 2,600 people were displaced in the Artibonite department following clashes between armed groups last week.
More than three quarters of the displaced sought refuge in the municipality of Marchand Dessalines. Renewed fighting in the municipality of Cité Soleil, in the West department, which began on June 13, has forced more than 5,000 people to run for safety from their homes, according to the IOM, adding to the thousands already displaced between March and May due to armed violence in the area.
Displacement and humanitarian needs increase
This new violence has resulted in the deterioration of security across many parts of Haiti, with limited access to essential services in addition to humanitarian needs, including food, clean water, and healthcare.
According to the Vatican’s Fides news agency, the country is experiencing an increase in forced return, and it reported that according to IOM, more than 25,000 people were forced to return to Haiti in May 2026. Between January and June this year, the number of those who have returned exceeded 11,700, with women representing a quarter of the population and 8% being children, increasing the existing challenge on insecurity and limited resources.
Humanitarian food aid (World Food Programme)
Healthcare in danger
Healthcare has been affected and disrupted greatly, especially for those serving women and children. Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières – MSF) has suspended activities at its maternity facility in Cité Soleil as a result of the insecurity depriving thousands of women of access to maternal and reproductive healthcare.
Thus, access to healthcare remains one of the most urgent concerns for communities affected by the continuing violence.
However, church organizations continue their pastoral and humanitarian presence despite operating under increasingly difficult conditions, providing shelter, offering humanitarian assistance, and supporting vulnerable families in the areas where state services are limited. Church leaders have consistently appealed for peace, dialogue, and respect for human life.
Parish mission continues amids crisis
In the Haitian mountainous region of Pourcine Pic Makaya, the Parish of Notre-Dame-du-Perpétuel-Secours continues to support local communities through its KIWO project, led by Camillian missionary Fr. Massimo Miraglio.
While reflecting on the mission of the KIWO association, Fr. Miraglio said sixty children, young people, and adults came together through a recent parish activity for a day of prayer, community service, and fellowship by a nearby river. They cleaned the area and shared a meal together before returning to the parish.
Fr. Miraglio further commented that in the recently concluded school year at the Parish school of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, despite the many challenges facing teachers and students, there is progress in attendance, punctuality, personal hygiene, and participation in school activities. He also highlighted the successful completion of the parish literacy program, which gathered participants from several local communities after six months of study.
Preparations are now underway for the 2026–2027 academic year as the parish continues its educational and pastoral mission amid the country’s ongoing humanitarian and security challenges.
Source link
