Pourcine Pic-Makaya – The crisis that continues to shake the Haitian people threatens to worsen due to gang violence that displaces entire families, destroys agricultural production, and prevents humanitarian aid from reaching those in urgent need. A recently published report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification found that approximately 5.7 million Haitians – out of a population of approximately 11 million – are suffering from severe food shortages, while armed groups are strengthening their grip on the Caribbean country and the already devastated economy is further collapsing. The IPC estimates that armed groups now control approximately 90% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and have advanced into agricultural regions in recent months. The violence has also forced 1.3 million people to flee their homes—a 24% increase since December—and many have sought refuge in overcrowded shelters without basic services. Farmers who remain must negotiate with gangs for access to their fields and surrender part of their harvest. Small businesses have closed, leaving countless families without a source of income. Even when crop yields are normal, produce cannot reach the capital, Port-au-Prince, because gangs block main roads.
After six consecutive years of recession, food prices rose 33% in July this year compared to the previous year. The increasingly critical emergency is hitting children particularly hard. Another recent report found that 680,000 children have been displaced due to the violence—almost double the previous number—over 1,000 schools have closed, and hundreds of minors have been recruited by armed groups. The security situation remains unstable. Last Thursday, October 16, heavy gunfire erupted as government officials attempted to meet at the National Palace in downtown Port-au-Prince, forcing a rapid evacuation from an area long controlled by gangs.
Meanwhile, the international medical organization Doctors Without Borders reports that the ongoing violence in the capital has forced it to permanently close its emergency room in Port-au-Prince. Currently, more than 60% of health facilities in the capital, including the General Hospital of Haiti, are closed or non-functional due to increasing gang violence.
Amid this context of devastation, crime, violence, hunger, and misery, life for the population of Pourcine Pic-Makaya, a small mountain village, continues thanks to the significant contribution of missionaries on the Caribbean island.
Among them is the Italian Camellian missionary, Father Massimo Miraglio, parish priest of the village 300 km from Port-au-Prince, who tells Fides about an experience “that can help the community move forward on the right path,” as he himself puts it.
“On October 17, we were in the valley for a training day for 15 teachers of the literacy courses that were launched in mid-March 2025 ,” he explains. “In rainy October, the paths are very slippery and difficult to walk on due to the mud. On the other hand, it’s a joy to see how the locals, from the elders to the children, move with skill and courage on these steep and slippery paths, wearing simple beach shoes… I, on the other hand, am much less agile, despite my boots! We spent a wonderful day together, and the teachers improved their skills. We hope to organize a second day soon, as all the participants requested. We will resume the courses for adults at the beginning of November,” concludes Father Massimo.
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