Florida Catholic | Aid Sought For Haiti

Aid sought for Haiti

Soaring food prices, which have nearly doubled since December, are creating a severe crisis for many impoverished Haitians.

Posted: 05.01.08

As the cost of food around the world spirals upward, causing widespread hunger and triggering riots in cities in several nations, the Office of Social Advocacy, part of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, is accepting donations to provide food assistance to Haiti through Catholic Relief Services.

Archbishop John C. Favalora also has asked parishes throughout the archdiocese to take up a special collection to aid the church in Haiti during this critical time.

In a letter sent to all the pastors, the archbishop said: “As brothers and sisters in the Lord, it is our duty to make a charitable response to their needs and to stand in solidarity with them. Please urge your people to be generous in their sacrifice on behalf of the good people in Haiti.”

In addition to the monetary support, some Haitian parishes located throughout the archdiocese, including Notre Dame d’ Haiti Mission in Miami and St. James Church in North Miami, are also collecting food and clothing.

Since last December, the cost of food there has nearly doubled. This hike in food prices has had catastrophic impacts on more than 80 percent of the population that lives on less than $2 per day.

Last month, Port au Prince erupted in riots directly related to food prices. It is expected that national food shortages will continue until the harvest starts in June. The cost of a bag of rice in Haiti has risen by as much as 50 percent.

There are reports of people stealing cooked food and of people eating mud cakes in the city of Les Cayes. New words have been added to the Creole vocabulary: “Klorox,” after the chlorine-based bleach, and “asid batri,” or battery acid, comparing the sensation of hunger to the effects of swallowing these toxic substances.

Besides calling for donations at the local level, Catholic Relief Services is urging the administration and Congress to immediately increase global food assistance to the developing world. Catholic Relief Services also is calling on the United States and other nations to intensify the search for means to provide long-term food security.

This spike in food prices is not just a short-term crisis. The International Food Policy Research Institute is projecting high commodity prices to last for the next decade.

Checks can be mailed to: Catholic Charities Office of Social Advocacy, Haiti Hunger Relief, 9401 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL 33138. Donations also may be made online at www.ccadm.org.

For more information call Gloria Luna, director of social advocacy, at 305-762-3006.

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