(The girl in the photo above is 11 year old Annegardine Amazon, being treated for malnutrition at a Catholic hospital in Les Cayes, Haiti on May 26, 2021)
According to a UNICEF report issued on May 31: Severe acute childhood malnutrition is expected to more than double this year in Haiti as the country struggles with the coronavirus pandemic, a spike in gang violence, political instability, and dwindling resources.
More than 86,000 children under age 5 could be affected, compared with 41,000 reported in 2020. After a weeklong visit to Haiti, Jean Gough, UNICEF’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean stated, “I was saddened to see so many children suffering from malnutrition. Some will not recover unless they receive treatment in time.”
Severe acute malnutrition is considered a life-threatening condition. Overall, UNICEF said, about 4.4 million of Haiti’s 11 million inhabitants lack sufficient food, including 1.9 million children.
Especially in light of these worsening circumstances, I am EXTREMELY grateful to all of you who have continued helping out with The Haiti Fund’s efforts at the St. Michel Orphanage, and to bring a ray of hope into a very dark and hopeless situation.
Love and Prayers,
Greg
