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‘I don’t have the words to really describe what’s really going on down here,’ says Airdrie resident Marc Honorat, who operates a school in Haiti.
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An Airdrie man in Haiti says he’s staying focused on helping the community and orphaned children at his school while forced to remain in a country rendered powerless by violent gang activity.
After a squad of gunmen assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, the country became paralyzed by escalating violence, leading to the collapse of medical and food systems in the country, said Marc Honorat.
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“The gangs totally took over, kidnapping, shooting, and doing really despicable stuff to the people,” said Honorat, founder and CEO of Haiti Arise Ministries, a non-profit that facilitates education, food provision and medical care in the Caribbean nation.
Women and young girls are being raped, and what’s becoming increasingly prevalent is organ trafficking, he added.
“People are getting shot while they are in the hospital; I don’t have the words to really describe what’s really going on down here.”
On Feb. 29, gunmen launched a series of attacks on key state institutions, including police stations, the main international airport and Haiti’s two biggest prisons, where more than 4,000 inmates were freed. Scores of people have died in the attacks, and more than 15,000 people have been left homeless.
The powerful gangs now control about 80 per cent of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Honorat said he feels not enough attention is being paid to the situation. “It’s beheadings; it’s horrible things that’s going on in this country here,” he said.
Haiti’s prime minister, Ariel Henry, resigned on March 11, following weeks of mounting pressure and increasing violence in the impoverished country. Meanwhile, efforts to create a transitional presidential council are continuing.
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“Last few weeks, he was out of the country because he was working hard to bring some kind of international force to come and help and fight the gangs, and then the gangs totally shut the country down. So he’s out of the country now, and everything’s just chaos,” said Honorat.
‘The gangs take over; it’s almost like they make the laws’
Sebastien Beaulieu, Global Affairs Canada’s chief security officer, said most Canadian staff at the Port-au-Prince embassy were airlifted in a chartered helicopter early Thursday to the neighbouring Dominican Republic, where they will work remotely.
Canada had advised all Canadians in Haiti to leave since October 2022, but Beaulieu said there are “close to 3,000” Canadians officially registered as still in the country.
Pierre Beldor, president of the Haitian Association of Calgary, said he has cousins, nieces, and nephews who are directly impacted by the violence in Haiti: “They’re just trying to hang on.”
“The country is at a standstill — you cannot move food from one place to another, even if you have money, you cannot find anything to buy,” Beldor said.
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He believes the first thing that needs to happen is a stable government to guarantee security for Haiti: “The gangs take over; it’s almost like they make the laws — they do whatever they want.”
Canada has contributed $80.5 million to a multinational mission to improve security in Haiti and has offered to help train Haitian police but will not send soldiers.
Honorat said his wife and children, who are currently in the U.S., are worried for his safety. He said he is taking it one day at a time and will continue to serve his people.
“There’s fighting all over the place; kids are getting shot when they are in school — it’s traumatizing for everybody here.”
Honorat said he is gutted that people are dying for no reason and is pleading for advocates for the people in Haiti.
“If we can get some people that can bring this to others’ attention and help us figure these things out, I think that would be wonderful. And the other thing is prayer — pray for Haiti.”
With files from The Canadian Press
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