In the Christmas message of Haitian Bishops, they called on armed gangs to immediately end violence and on local authorities to rebuild civil institutions for a better future in the country. Haiti has been suffering from severe political, economic, social and humanitarian turmoil.
In a Christmas message closing its recent general assembly, the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Haiti (CEH), has again urged criminal gangs to stop their “murderous madness of hatred and of contempt for life”, while calling on the local civil authorities to restore the rule of law in order to guarantee a better future for the new generations.
This is not the first time that the Haitian bishops have raised the alarm decrying the political, economic, social and humanitarian turmoil in the island nation that continues to breed gang crime.
Haiti, one of the poorest nations in the world, has been contending with an economy in freefall, political instability, and rising insecurity for years.
After the devastating earthquake that followed in August in 2021, gang-related killings, turf wars, extortion, and kidnappings, have increased even more, also targeting the Catholic Church, an institution that has long been a pillar of Haitian society, with several religious kidnapped for ransom since then.
In recent months, the country has also seen a resurgence of cholera, resulting from limited access to healthcare and essential services, including water, food, sanitation, and supply services.