Haiti (MNN) — In Haiti, a judicial oversight board indicted 30 judges for corruption, drunkenness, and a lack of academic qualifications. Their certifications will not be renewed. It could impact how Haiti deals with rampant gang violence.

So far, gangs have displaced 150,000 Haitians. Greg Yoder with Christian World Outreach says, “Where it affects us is our Feminine Training Center in Port-au-Prince. Day to day, we are not sure if the ladies are able to travel. We have some staff members that have had to evacuate their homes. They’re basically displaced people because gangs are fighting in their areas.”

“They’ve had to move out. And the gangs just come in, take over the homes, and loot.”

How bad has Haiti’s judicial system gotten? In December 2020, the head of a judges’ association went on the radio, warning Haitians to avoid getting arrested because they might be imprisoned indefinitely for any crime.

This past June, a gang took control of the Port-au-Prince main courthouse.

Food access

Humanitarian groups say the core issue in Haiti is access to food. Twenty thousand people face famine conditions in Port-au-Prince. Nationwide, 4.7 million people deal with food insecurity.

Yoder says the inflation rate keeps growing. “And so, for us to continue to feed the kids is more expensive. But the feeding program at Port-au-Prince is especially needed. Because some of these people haven’t been able to keep their jobs. Even in the countryside, prices rise but income does not.”

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CWO has eight churches in Haiti, Yoder says. “Just recently, one of the churches baptized 13 people. They came to the Lord and want to serve Him and to grow in their relationships.”

 

Header photo courtesy of Kaufdex on Pixabay.