Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 9 janvier 2026

PM Holness points to free movement in final CARICOM chair address

Sheri-kae McLeod, December 28, 2025

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness has pointed to regional unity during Hurricane Melissa, expanded free movement, coordinated security action and renewed focus on Haiti as defining achievements of his tenure as chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), as he hands over the role at year’s end.

In his end-of-year message issued Saturday from the Caribbean Community Secretariat in Guyana, Holness said 2025 tested the region’s resilience but also reinforced the “simple truth” of Caribbean solidarity, particularly in the wake of record-breaking Hurricane Melissa, which caused widespread damage across Jamaica and other territories.

Among the most concrete integration advances, Holness highlighted the decision by Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to implement full free movement of persons among themselves from October 1, 2025. He described the move as a “concentric circles” model that allows willing states to deepen cooperation while leaving the door open for others to join when ready.

On the economic front, Holness said CARICOM successfully defended regional interests amid shifting global trade conditions through coordinated advocacy with the CARICOM Private Sector Organization and strategic partners. He also pointed to expanded regional and international airlift, strengthened trade ties, and initiatives aimed at improving food and nutrition security.

Security challenges featured prominently during Jamaica’s chairmanship, particularly with the adoption of the Montego Bay Declaration on Transnational Organised Crime and Gangs at the July Conference of Heads of Government. Holness stressed that CARICOM continues to address crime and violence through multiple mechanisms, underscoring that “security and development are inseparable.”

Internationally, he said CARICOM maintained a unified voice at major global fora, including the United Nations General Assembly, the G20 Leaders’ Summit and the CELAC–EU Summit, strengthening foreign policy coordination and crisis response. On climate change, Holness acknowledged that outcomes from COP30 in Belém fell short of what vulnerable Small Island and Low-lying Coastal Developing States require, reaffirming the region’s commitment to the 1.5°C goal and praising the work of regional institutions such as CDEMA, CARPHA and the Caribbean Development Bank.

Holness also pointed to deepened engagement with Africa following the Second Africa–CARICOM Summit in Addis Ababa, including expanded cooperation on trade, investment, culture and advocacy on reparations.

On Haiti, he said sustained regional lobbying helped keep the country on the global agenda, contributing to a UN Security Council resolution establishing a gang suppression force partly supported by UN funding. CARICOM, he noted, is now a key partner in coordinating the OAS roadmap toward stability, with preparations under way for elections in 2026.

As he handed over the chairmanship, Holness warned that the region must navigate an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment with “clarity, cohesion and strategic discipline,” emphasizing diplomacy, respect for sovereignty and peaceful engagement.

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Despite the year’s challenges, he said CARICOM remains one of the world’s most enduring integration movements, expressing confidence in the Community’s future and the Secretariat’s continued role in supporting regional stability.

In January, St. Kitts and Nevis will become chair of CARICOM.

Haitian migrants intercepted on Christmas in Quebec near U.S. border, RCMP say

Nineteen migrants of Haitian origin were arrested on Christmas in Quebec after RCMP say they illegally crossed the border from the United States on an extremely cold evening.

Mounties say it happened in the Havelock area of Montérégie in southern Quebec, approximately five kilometers from the border with the state of New York.

They say the people in the group were between the ages of one and 60, including a three-year-old.

RCMP say in an email that Integrated Border Police Team officers found an initial group of 15 people hiding in the woods on Thursday evening, after being notified by the United States Border Patrol.

Officers continued their search until around 10:30 p.m. to find the rest of the group.

Eight people were taken to hospital. According to the RCMP, six of them required treatment for frostbite.

“The two young children were also taken to hospital as a precautionary measure. According to the information available, their lives are not in danger,” the RCMP email said.

One man was also arrested by patrol officers who “had reason to believe he was near the scene to pick up several of these migrants with his car.” His vehicle was seized.

All of the people who were intercepted have applied for asylum, RCMP said. Their cases are now in the hands of the Canada Border Services Agency.

RCMP reminded people that it is extremely dangerous to attempt to cross the border illegally, especially in winter, when people are often ill-equipped to face the cold.

Haitians recruited on TikTok for meatpacking jobs sue JBS for workplace abuses

Class-action lawsuit with 1,000 plaintiffs alleges discrimination, deceptive recruitment, overcrowded housing and dangerous line speeds at a Greeley, Colorado facility

by The Haitian Times Dec. 21, 2025

Overview:

More than 1,000 Haitian workers allege in a lawsuit that JBS subjected them to discriminatory and unsafe working and living conditions after recruiting them under false promises to its Greeley, Colorado, meatpacking plant.

For more than a decade, JBS Greeley—a division of JBS USA Food Company—relied almost exclusively on refugee and immigrant workers to operate its meatpacking plant. Now, more than 1,000 Haitian workers JBS recruited allege in a new class action lawsuit filed Tuesday that the meat processing company discriminated against them and subjected them to hazardous working conditions.

“I’m a part of today’s lawsuit because I don’t want workers – my fellow Haitians or any group of workers who may come to the U.S. in the future – to suffer in the way that I have,” Nesly Pierre, a plaintiff in this suit, said in court documents.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Haitians who worked at the JBS plant in Greeley, Colorado, after Nov. 1, 2023. The suit alleges the company targeted Haitians as a vulnerable workforce and then subjected them to harsher conditions than non-Haitian workers. 

Lawyers for the Haitian plaintiffs also note that during the 2024 campaign, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance targeted Haitians in Ohio with xenophobic rhetoric.

“JBS saw Haitian workers as uniquely exploitable, then discriminated against them for the sake of its bottom line,” said Amal Bouhabib, senior staff attorney at FarmSTAND and counsel for the class in this suit. 

“The harm stemming from the choice JBS made will stay with the plaintiffs in this case forever,” he added.”

JBS has not issued any public statements about the suit as of Sunday.

The litigation is now a race against a looming immigration deadline. With TPS for Haitians set to expire in February 2026, the workers risk being deported before their claims can be fully adjudicated. While some plaintiffs have applied for asylum as a safeguard, attorneys describe the move as a “gamble” under the current administration.

The suit also harkens back to similar cases in other states, such as Ohio, of newcomer Haitians being recruited with promises of housing, only to be left in squalor.

Seeking out vulnerable immigrants 

In the lawsuit, the claimants say that JBS, one of the world’s largest animal protein producers, intentionally and strategically recruited immigrants seeking humanitarian relief to fill its workforce.

After a series of immigration raids in 2006, the company saw its workforce shrink by 10% almost overnight. To offset ongoing losses and maintain productivity, JBS—whose annual revenue tops $73 billion—began working directly with resettlement agencies and local service organizations to recruit immigrants with work authorization, the suit alleges. 

Initial recruits came from Somalia, Eritrea and the Congo, followed later by workers from Myanmar, South Sudan and the Middle East.

The recruitment strategy worked. 

Within a year of the raid, Greeley’s foreign-born population grew to more than 12 percent, a 60 percent increase from seven years earlier.

But after a series of labor and legal challenges between 2020 and 2022—including COVID-19 outbreaks, worker-led collective bargaining efforts, and a federal lawsuit over the unlawful employment of children—JBS once again found itself in need of new workers.

The company’s solution: recently arrived Haitians with humanitarian parole or Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which allow them to work legally.

“They don’t pray and they don’t need to go to the bathroom,” one JBS Greeley supervisor allegedly told a team of Somali workers about Haitians in December 2023.

The new recruits also were not part of covered by existing union bargaining agreements, the suit states. 

TikTok promises led to squalid housing and dangerous shifts

According to the lawsuit, recruitment began in late 2023, after Mackenson Remy, a Haitian immigrant living in Colorado, met with JBS Greeley HR recruiter and supervisor Edmond Ebah. The pair devised a plan to use Remy’s TikTok to recruit Haitians for at least 60 openings slaughtering, butchering and packaging meat.

Using footage from inside the plant, Remy created a TikTok promising jobs with no English-language requirements and employer-provided housing while workers settled in Greeley. Haitians who had initially settled in Indiana, Ohio, Florida and other states saw the videos and decided to go west, spending thousands to make the trip.

“When I first saw a video recruiting Haitian workers to the JBS plant in Greeley, I was excited for a great opportunity,” Pierre said. “But immediately upon arrival to an overcrowded hotel room, I knew something was wrong, and that was only the beginning.”

The lawsuit alleges those promises were false and that workers incurred hefty travel expenses and paid improper recruitment fees to secure the jobs.

Although recruiters promised them that JBS would “take care” of their housing, workers described the living conditions as “squalid” and “inhospitable.” When they arrived, recruits were allegedly crammed by the dozens into the Rainbow Motel, where as many as 11 people shared a single room with only one bed and one bathroom. 

Pierre likened the conditions to a “jail cell,” saying workers were forced to sleep on the floor near the door where frigid winter air seeped in. Others reported “rancid” smells and a lack of kitchen facilities that left some unable to eat for days.

As the motel reached capacity, recruiters reportedly moved the overflow—up to 60 people—into a single 5-bedroom house that sometimes lacked electricity, heat and running water in the winter. 

Despite these conditions, the complaint alleges, the workers were charged exorbitant weekly fees, ranging from $60 for a spot on the floor of the house to $500 for a shared motel room—a situation the union has called exploitative and akin to human trafficking.

Unsafe conditions, treatment at plant detailed

At the plant, Haitian workers were allegedly subjected to more dangerous and degrading conditions than their co-workers. 

According to the lawsuit and union reports, JBS allegedly segregated newly recruited Haitian workers onto the “B Shift”—the afternoon shift from 3:00 pm to 11:30 pm—and subjected them to dangerous working conditions to maximize production. The union describes a “White Bone” program instituted by management, which demanded workers strip meat to the bone at this accelerated pace, leading to severe repetitive stress injuries. 

While industry standards suggest a maximum safe line speed of 390 head of cattle per hour, the complaint alleges managers pushed the Haitian-staffed shift to speeds as high as 440 head per hour. 

Pierre reported that the line moved so relentlessly that he could not unclench his hand from his meat hook, leaving his fingers permanently stuck in a “clawing position.”

The lawsuit further alleges that JBS systematically compromised worker safety by refusing to provide training in Creole. Despite knowing the recruits did not speak English or Spanish, the company conducted safety orientations in those languages and directed supervisors to falsify testing records to claim the workers understood them. This practice reportedly allowed JBS to rush workers onto the “kill floor” without the knowledge necessary to protect themselves from dangerous machinery and chemicals.

Beyond physical hazards, the complaint describes a discriminatory environment where basic human needs were ignored. Haitian workers claim they were routinely denied unscheduled bathroom breaks, a right afforded to other employees, forcing some to urinate on themselves or deliberately dehydrate and starve themselves to avoid needing the restroom during shifts. 

When injuries occurred, the company allegedly obstructed access to care. In one instance, when Carlos Saint Aubin, a plaintiff in the class action lawsuit, suffered severe chest pain, he was reportedly given a “hot towel” by the on-site clinic and sent back to the line. 

The union also contends that JBS coerced workers into signing waivers in English they did not understand, effectively forcing them to forfeit their rights to workers’ compensation. Further, the complaint alleges, JBS management was aware of both the exploitative recruitment practices and the housing conditions, but continued hiring Haitian workers to secure what it describes as a compliant workforce.

“JBS USA’s CEO has said that his job feels so fun, it doesn’t even feel like working,” Bouhabib said. 

“Meanwhile, his Haitian workers are suffering life-altering injuries due to the inhumane conditions at the Greeley plant,” Bouhabib added. “These workers are bravely standing up and asserting their humanity to JBS through today’s action.”

Juno Turner, litigation director at Towards Justice, said the treatment described in the lawsuit reflects broader challenges facing immigrant workers.

“No worker should experience the exploitation and abuse that our clients have endured,” Turner said in a statement. “That these workers are treated so cruelly amid the current unprecedented attack on immigrant communities just adds insult to literal injury.”

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 26 décembre 2025

An Appeal to the President and to the Governor

December 22, 2025
 

We, the Bishops of the Catholic Church in Florida, appeal to President Trump and to Governor DeSantis to pause immigration enforcement activities during the Christmas holidays.

The border has been secured. The initial work of identifying and removing dangerous criminals has been accomplished to a great degree. Over half a million people have been deported this year, and nearly two million more have voluntarily self-deported.

At this point, the maximum enforcement approach of treating irregular immigrants en masse means that now many of these arrest operations inevitably sweep up numbers of people who are not criminals but just here to work. It should be noted that a significant majority of those detained in Alligator Alcatraz have no criminal background.

Sometimes, these roundups include those with legal authorization to be here. Eventually these cases may be resolved, but this takes many months causing great sorrow for their families. A growing majority of Americans say the harsh enforcement policies are going too far. A climate of fear and anxiety is infecting not only the irregular migrant but also family members and neighbors who are legally in the country.

Since these effects are part of enforcement operations, we request that the government pause apprehension and round-up activities during the Christmas season. Such a pause would show a decent regard for the humanity of these families. Now is not the time to be callous toward the suffering caused by immigration enforcement.

Our nation is richly blessed. Despite challenges confronting our nation, we Americans enjoy a peace and prosperity that is the envy of the world, made possible by our special constitutional order which protects our liberties. It is no wonder that so many seek to come here. While enforcement will always be part of any immigration policy, such enforcement can be carried out in a way that recognizes due process as well as the humanity and dignity of all affected including those carrying out those policies. A pause during this holy season can lower the temperature within our partisan divisions, ease the fear and anxiety present in many of our immigrant and even non-immigrant families and allow all of us to celebrate with greater joy the advent of the Prince of Peace.

Congress passes Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act in defense bill

New law mandates investigation and sanctions against Haitian elites tied to gangs, amid recent high-profile arrests

by The Haitian Times Dec. 18, 2025

As part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress passed a landmark provision requiring the U.S. government to investigate and sanction Haitian elites who collaborate with criminal gangs. The move comes amid a widening U.S.-led crackdown on corruption and gang financing, which has already resulted in arrests and sanctions against prominent figures such as Dimitri Vorbe and Pierre Réginald Boulos.

Congress passed Wednesday, Dec. 17 the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2025, a new provision embedded in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), marking a significant shift in United States foreign policy toward Haiti.

The law mandates the U.S. government to investigate, report on and impose sanctions against political and economic elites in Haiti who have colluded with violent gangs. Within 180 days of the law’s enactment, the Secretary of State must submit a report to Congress identifying prominent gangs, their leaders and their ties to elite actors. Sanctions, including asset freezes and visa revocations, are to be imposed within 90 days of the report’s release.

Faith in Action International, an advocacy group, praised the legislation as a “potential turning point for Haiti” and urged U.S. officials to fully implement the law, including sanctions on influential individuals accused of financing gangs.

The act also calls for a detailed annual report to expose the relationships between criminal gangs and the political and economic elites in Haiti.

The report is designed to be a “shining light” on corruption and must contain several specific components:

• Gang Identification: A list of prominent criminal gangs, their leaders, their specific criminal activities (including coercive recruitment), and their primary areas of operation.
• Linkage List: A list of political and economic elites in Haiti who have “direct and significant links” to these criminal gangs. Any organizations or entities controlled by these elites.
• Detailed Descriptions: A comprehensive explanation of the relationships between elites and gangs. Analysis of how elites use gang affiliations to advance political and economic interests and agendas.
• Border Security Assessment: Identification of criminal organizations involved in trafficking Haitian and other individuals to the U.S. border.
• Transnational Connections: An assessment of connections among Haitian elites, domestic gangs, and transnational criminal organizations
• Impact Analysis: An assessment of how this collusion threatens the Haitian people and U.S. national security interests.
• Proposed Actions: Recommendations for actions that both the U.S. and Haitian governments could take to address the findings.

The Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act authorizes two primary categories of sanctions against foreign individuals identified as having significant links to criminal gangs in Haiti: financial sanctions and travel restrictions.

Under the property blocking provision, the president is empowered to freeze all property and interests in property belonging to sanctioned individuals if those assets are located in the United States, enter the U.S., or are held or controlled by a U.S. person, including foreign branches of U.S.-based entities. This measure effectively prohibits the sanctioned individuals from conducting any financial transactions involving U.S. institutions or assets. The authority is grounded in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and is designed to cut off access to global financial systems for those fueling instability in Haiti.

The law also imposes strict visa restrictions. Sanctioned individuals are deemed inadmissible to the U.S. and are barred from receiving any visa or entry documentation. For those who already possess such documents, immediate revocation is mandated. This revocation also automatically nullifies any other valid visas or travel authorizations they may hold. These measures aim to isolate individuals who, despite facing serious allegations, have often continued to travel freely or maintain residences abroad—including in the U.S.

“This pattern of impunity sends a dangerous signal,” said Wilner Exantus, a Port-au-Prince resident, in a September interview with The Haitian Times. “If foreign governments sanction our leaders but Haiti’s own justice system does nothing, the corruption and violence will never end.”

The Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act gives the U.S. executive branch broad authority to investigate and sanction elites, but also includes safeguards for humanitarian aid to continue flowing into Haiti. The law is set to sunset in five years.

Faith in Action and other advocacy groups say the legislation also strengthens the case for extending Temporary Protected Status for Haitians in the U.S., citing worsening violence, airport closures and unsafe conditions for deportees.

“This law acknowledges the real sources of Haiti’s instability,” the organization said. “It should be a starting point for rethinking U.S. policy in the region to support civil society and real democratic governance in Haiti.”

The bill has been sent to President Donald Trump’s desk for signature today.

(Washington Post) … Haitian died in detention

At least 30 detainees have died in 2025, prompting concerns about deteriorating conditions at facilities even as the agency has received an infusion of cash from Congress.
https://wapo.st/4annZUI 

The four detainees who recently died were Jean Wilson Brutus, a 41-year old Haitian immigrant held at Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark; Nenko Stanev Gantchev, a 56-year-old Bulgarian immigrant who died at the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan; Delvin Francisco Rodriguez, a 39-year-old Nicaraguan detainee in Natchez, Mississippi; and Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir, a 46-year-old Eritrean immigrant who died at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania. ICE said two of the men died of natural causes, while the other two had medical complications.

How Haitian gangs extort up to $75 million a year

Gangs rake in millions through illegal tolls and cargo extortion, says new Crisis Group report

by Juhakenson Blaise Dec. 17, 2025

THE HAITIAN TIMES

Overview:

Haitian gangs under the Viv Ansanm coalition generate an estimated $60–75 million annually through extortion, primarily by charging illegal tolls on national roads and extracting fees from cargo entering the country via the Dominican Republic, according to a new report by the International Crisis Group. Despite government attempts to cut off this revenue, gang control continues to spread, fueling insecurity, mass displacement and school closures.

PORT-AU-PRINCE —  Haiti’s Viv Ansanm gang coalition, labeled a terrorist organization by the United States, generates an estimated $60 to $75 million a year by extorting cargo shipments from the Dominican Republic and charging illegal tolls on roads and ports, according to a new report by the International Crisis Group.

The report, published this week, “Undoing Haiti’s Deadly Gang Alliance,” details how gangs have diversified their funding sources, allowing them to operate independently of political and economic patrons while expanding their territorial control.

According to the report, gangs levy illegal fees on cargo entering Haiti from the Dominican Republic, charging up to $2,000 per container. Haitian Economy and Finance Minister Alfred Métellus said the scheme affects roughly 3,000 containers per month, generating tens of millions of dollars annually.

“These resources make the gangs autonomous and allow them to acquire weapons, ammunition, and personnel. The goal is to cut off the flow of resources going to them.”

Alfred Métellus, Haiti’s economy and finance ministernormal

“These resources make the gangs autonomous and independent,” Métellus told Le Nouvelliste earlier this year, after the government temporarily banned overland imports from the Dominican Republic in an effort to disrupt gang financing. 

“They allow them to acquire weapons, ammunition and even personnel. The goal is to cut off the flow of resources going to them.”

The ICG report, based on over 300 interviews conducted between February 2022 and November 2025, notes that container extortion is only one part of a broader criminal economy that includes illegal tolls on national roads, kidnappings, illicit trafficking and maritime theft.

Gangs diversify their income streams to buy weapons, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Gangs have established checkpoints across Port-au-Prince and along national highways, charging drivers about $1,500 per truck per month to use certain routes, with an additional $190 fee per trip from regional ports, the report says.

Pedestrians, commuters and even schoolchildren are often forced to pay to pass through gang-controlled areas.

“These various tolls have led to a significant increase in the cost of goods transported by land,” ICG analysts said. “Communities that try to avoid paying face violent reprisals.”

From political and economic tools to autonomous armed groups

The report traces the gangs’ evolution from groups once mobilized by political and business elites into self-directed armed actors with independent revenue streams.

Since forming the Viv Ansanm coalition in 2023 — an alliance of previously rival groups including G9 an Fanmi and Gpèp — gangs have consolidated power, expanded into areas such as  Kenscoff, Mirebalais, Saut-d’Eau, La Chapelle and other parts of the lower Artibonite, and diversified into drug and arms trafficking.

The ICG links this consolidation to a dramatic deterioration in security nationwide—a heavy human toll of gang expansion.

Since 2022, gang violence has killed more than 16,000 people, with over 5,600 homicides recorded in 2024 alone, confirming figures previously reported by other organizations. More than 1.4 million people have been displaced, and at least 1,600 schools have closed.

Children are increasingly recruited into gangs, accounting for an estimated 70% of 12,000-20,000 members in 2024, the ICG said. 

“These various tolls have led to a sharp rise in transport costs, and communities that refuse to pay face violent reprisals.”

International Crisis Groupnormal

Although the exact number of gang members in Haiti is unknown, it greatly exceeds the number of Haitian National Police (PNH) officers.

“Haitian gangs have mutated from being tools in the hands of the most powerful to overlords of the country,” said Diego Da Rin, the Crisis Group’s Haiti analyst. “While they continue to profit at the expense of Haitians, they are attempting to rebrand themselves as defenders of the poorest.”

By using this populist rhetoric—portraying themselves as a “savior” to a population they continue to terrorize, the ICG Haiti analyst said— the gang leaders aim to seek political influence and amnesty for their atrocious crimes.

Limits of military responses and recommendations

Haitian authorities have introduced new tactics, including armed drone strikes, but the report says these efforts have failed to reclaim territory or dismantle gang networks due to poor coordination and weak institutions.

Residents say they are traumatized after explosions killed children and other civilians in the gang-controlled area

As the international community replaces the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission (MSS) with the United Nations-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) — composed mainly of military personnel — ICG experts warn that a military-only approach risks high civilian casualties and could further entrench gang control.

Instead, the conflict prevention group calls for a strategy combining security operations with demobilization, accountability, and efforts to cut off political and financial support.

“Military superiority over the gangs would be a major step,” said Da Rin. “But without dismantling them, halting recruitment, and cutting ties to power, it would only provide a temporary pause in the conflict.”

On  Aug. 28, 2025, residents cautiously returned to Delmas 30 and other Port-au-Prince neighborhoods after the withdrawal of the Viv Ansanm gang coalition, only to find their communities in ruins. Human remains, burned homes, looted belongings, shattered infrastructure and bullet-scarred walls bear witness to six months of unchecked violence. Survivors such as Jésula Cilus and Gesner Lebrun, left with nothing, describe despair and uncertainty about whether they can return. With more than 1.4 million people displaced and over 3,000 killed in 2025 alone, the devastation underscores Haiti’s deepening crisis and the limits of both national and international security efforts. Video by Juhakenson Blaise/The Haitian Times.

As Haiti has seen before, “Removing leaders may bring temporary calm,” he added, “but violence will return if gangs aren’t fully disarmed and their backers held accountable.”

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 2 décembre 2025

South Florida Haitians express outrage, fear as Trump administration moves to end TPS protections

November 29, 2025

Members of South Florida's Haitian community are sounding the alarm after the Trump administration announced it will terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 350,000 Haitian immigrants living in the United States — a decision that could leave thousands of local families vulnerable to deportation in less than 60 days.

Administration officials have urged TPS holders to "self-deport" if they want to avoid forced removal. For many Haitians who have lived in the U.S. for decades, the announcement felt like a devastating and disorienting blow.

"For me and for many, it's just a death sentence," said Farah Larrieux, who has lived in South Florida for 20 years and is among the hundreds of thousands whose protections are now set to expire on Feb. 3, 2026.

Larrieux rejected the administration's assertion that Haiti is safe for returning nationals. "This idea that Haitians can safely return home is a big lie," she said.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acknowledged Haiti's ongoing political upheaval and humanitarian crisis, but the Department of Homeland Security's termination notice framed the decision as one driven by national interest. 

"While the current situation in Haiti is concerning," the notice states, "the United States must prioritize its national interests, and permitting Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the U.S. is contrary to the U.S. national interest."

Larrieux said the timing, arriving just before the Thanksgiving holiday, felt particularly painful. 

"It's ungrateful," she said, describing the announcement as dismissive of the Haitian community's contributions to the country.

Local activists echoed her frustration, pointing to rampant violence and instability in Haiti, where armed criminal groups control large swaths of the country. 

"We have daily situations of rape, kidnapping, or murder," said community advocate Paul Mamphy. He noted that even as TPS is being terminated, the administration recently designated two Haitian gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, an acknowledgment, he said, that the situation remains life-threatening.

Mamphy said Haitian advocacy groups plan to pursue legal action and will unveil their strategy next week. He emphasized that Haitians living in the U.S. are deeply woven into the national workforce. 

"We work very hard here in South Florida and throughout the country, putting food on the table, building the buildings you see, working in hospitality, elder care, and restaurants," he said.

Many TPS holders have built decades-long lives in the U.S., raising families and establishing careers without any permanent path to legal status. When asked why so many longtime residents remain on temporary protections, Larrieux pointed to years of gridlock in Washington. 

"We didn't choose to be undocumented," she said. "For many years, both parties failed us. They failed to pass immigration reform, and that's why so many people got stuck in the middle."

Community leaders say the fight is far from over. A coalition of Haitian organizations plans to hold a news conference Monday to outline next steps and mobilize public pressure to preserve TPS, a program many in South Florida say is critical for thousands of families who have nowhere safe to return.

More from CBS News

National Center of Haitian Apostolate

Reflection for the First Sunday of Advent Year A – November 30, 2025

Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122:1-2...; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44

https://youtu.be/5uwQBT8wRsc?si=tDSGrga3jtlCtsoq

Msgr. Pierre André Pierre

 My brothers and sisters in Christ, today we enter into the season of Advent. It is a new beginning. We conclude the Jubilee Year of Hope by lighting the first candle of the Advent wreath, the CANDLE OF HOPE. Today’s readings, taken from the Gospel of Matthew, the Letter of Paul to the Romans, and the prophet Isaiah, remind us of three essential pieces of advice: 1) Remain vigilant and attentive; 2) Reject the works of darkness and live in the light of Christ; 3) Walk together for peace and unity.

I want to connect this Word of God to the current event of Pope Leo XIV’s first apostolic journey to Turkey and Lebanon. This journey carries a message of peace and unity. One could also consider Haiti’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

First: Peace and unity are possible, Unity in the Nicene Creed.

Pope Leo XIV is traveling to Turkey to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, held in 325. This was a pivotal moment in the history of the Church, which affirmed the divinity of Christ and gave birth to our Nicene Creed. It was a decisive victory for truth and unity in the Church. In the great debate about Jesus that was dividing the Church, the bishops met the challenge of unity in a Theological Declaration: “Jesus is God, Son of God, not created, consubstantial to the Father.” “Like those Fathers of the Council of Nicaea, we have a mission to remain steadfast in the fundamental truths of our faith, especially in the face of division. To build peace and unity, we must remain rooted in the truth. Our hope does not rest on shifting sands, but on the unchanging truth of Christ, ‘born of the Father before all ages.’

Secondly: Peace amidst turmoil.

Pope Leo XIV’s journey continues to the Middle East, to Lebanon, a nation in crisis and on the brink of collapse. He will offer them a message of peace and solidarity. This echoes the prophetic vision of Isaiah: ‘All nations will come to the mountain of the Lord; they will beat their swords and spears into plowshares…’ In a world plagued by conflict and war, chasing after money and power, authority and the domination of the strong over the weak, we find here a message of solidarity and peace.” Like Pope Leon, let us embrace the mission to be messengers of solidarity and peace. Our Advent hope should inspire us to pray and work for reconciliation and peace, not only in distant lands, but also in our own countries, in our families, and in our communities.

Thirdly: A call to vigilance.

Finally, in the Gospel, Jesus strongly urges us to remain vigilant and to prepare for his return. St. Paul expresses the same idea in the Epistle to the Romans. He encourages us to “put on the armor of light” and to live honorable lives. This is much more than a simple spiritual exercise. It is a concrete choice to be made every day. The apostolic mission of Pope Leo XIV can inspire us to a revival and an awareness of our own mission: to bring hope, unity, and peace to our world.

In these difficult times for Haiti and its people, faced with the suffering and hardships that surround them, let us break free from our indifference. Let us open our hearts and stand in solidarity with Haiti and its people, who seek peace and stability. Our hope as Christians is not to wait passively, but to act in solidarity with those who suffer. In this Advent season, let us reject the works of darkness and prepare our hearts to welcome the Incarnate Word.

Like Isaiah, who saw the nations flocking to the mountain of the Lord, let us walk in faith, vigilant and committed to justice and peace in our communities. Thus, at the return of Jesus, he will find us ready, filled with hope, and at work for his Kingdom. Amen.

Trump says Haiti no longer meets requirements for TPS. Haitians have to leave

Jacqueline CharlesUpdated November 26, 2025 5:59 PM

The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday announced the end of temporary immigration protections for Haitians, adding them to a growing list of immigrant groups seeing their protected status revoked by the Trump administration.

The decision, which becomes effective on Feb. 3, 2026, could affect more than a half million Haitians living in the U.S. under what is known as Temporary Protected Status. The designation was granted to Haiti after a string of natural and political disasters, starting with a catastrophic earthquake in 2010 that left the country and economy in ruins.

Barring potential legal delays from lawsuits, Haitians now will face returning to an unstable country facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises as criminal gangs control all major roads in and out of the capital of Port-au-Prince, and aggressively spread their terror to other regions.

DHS in its Federal Register notice acknowledged that “certain conditions in Haiti remain concerning.” But despite that, and the escalating violence “that has ‘engulfed’ Port-au-Prince‘, Secretary Kristi Noem “has determined that there are no extraordinary and temporary conditions in Haiti that prevent Haitian nationals (or aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) from returning in safety,” the agency wrote.

“Moreover, even if the Department found that there existed conditions that were extraordinary and temporary that prevented Haitian nationals,” the agency added, “from returning in safety, termination of Temporary Protected Status of Haiti is still required because it is contrary to the national interest of the United States to permit Haitian nationals ...to remain temporarily in the United States.”

As of 11:59 p.m. February 3, 2026, all Haitian nationals who have been granted TPS, will lose the status and must leave.

“After consulting with interagency partners, Secretary Noem concluded that Haiti no longer meets the statutory requirements for TPS,” the agency wrote in its announcement.

“This decision was based on a review conducted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, input from relevant U.S. government agencies, and an analysis indicating that allowing Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is inconsistent with U.S. national interests.”

The numbers paint a terrible picture in Haiti. A record 5.7 million people — 51% of the total population — are currently experiencing acute levels of hunger, with children increasingly at risk for malnutrition, the World Food Program recently warned. Meanwhile, as many as 1 in 4 Haitians, 2.7 million people, are forced to live in gang-controlled neighborhoods, more than 1.4 million are internally displaced, according to the United Nations. Rape, kidnapping and gang-related killings, all over 4,000 this year, are daily realities of life.

DHS said that the data indicates parts of the country are suitable to return to. That isn’t entirely true.

Even in communities, where armed groups are not yet visibly a problem, the situation is critical. The northern port city of Cap-Haïtien, which until this month offered the only access for international flights amid an ongoing U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ban on U.S. carriers, is bursting at the seams. The southern regions are also struggling to recover from Hurricane Melissa.

The storm’s recent passage unleashed widespread disruption and compounded existing problems with food and transportation, even though the country dodged a direct hit. At least 43 deaths were reported, mostly in the south, which is today completely cut off from the north and capital by road due to the presence of gangs that on Sunday once more forced the suspension of flights after firing on a domestic airline as it landed at the Port-au-Prince airport.

“Many households rely on unsafe water sources and lack access to basic sanitation, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks,” the U.N. said about the situation in southern Haiti. “Health facilities are under-equipped, financially inaccessible for many, and unable to provide mental health support. As a result, preventable illnesses and malnutrition are on the rise, particularly among children and pregnant women. Vulnerable groups — including women, girls, and youth — face heightened protection risks, including exploitation and violence.”

Though DHS previously announced the end of Haiti’s designation as of Feb. 3, the law requires the secretary to review country conditions at least 60 days before the expiration of TPS to determine whether the country continues to meet the conditions for designation.

“Based on the Department’s review, the Secretary has determined that while the current situation in Haiti is concerning, the United States must prioritize its national interests and permitting Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the U.S. national interest,” the notice said.

The administration’s decision isn’t surprising. Since taking office, President Donald Trump has moved to rollback immigration protections for Haitians and others, and ended TPS protections for millions of migrants from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Honduras, Syria, Nepal, Cameroon, Afghanistan, Burma, Somalia and Myanmar.

The agency’s order, issued a day before the Thanksgiving holiday, was blunt: “If you are an alien who is currently a beneficiary of TPS for Haiti, you should prepare to depart if you have no other lawful basis for remaining in the United States.”

But advocates for Haitians in the U.S. called the move poorly-timed and cruel.

“If Haiti doesn’t warrant TPS, which country does?” said Guerline Jozef, co-founder of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, a San Diego immigrant rights group. “For this news to come on the eve of Thanksgiving is devastating.”

Jozef pointed out that Washington has acknowledged both in recent communiqués and actions the crisis plaguing Haiti, which has been mired by repeated crises since its first designation. Among them: a deadly Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and a 7.2 earthquake in in 2021, five weeks after its president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated in the middle of the night.

In justifying its decision, DHS quoted U.N. Secretary General António Guterres’s comments in August that “there are emerging signals of hope.” But in that same meeting, he also warned that they were in “a perfect storm” of suffering as state authority crumbled across Haiti and lawlessness and gang brutality paralyze daily life.

In May, the Trump administration designated a powerful coalition of gangs, Viv Ansanm, and another group, Gran Grif, as Foreign Terrorists Organizations. In September, the U.S.’s new ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz, led an aggressive push at the U.N. Security Council for support for a new Gang Suppression Force to help in the fight against terrorist gangs. Despite DHS’ highlight of these decisions, little has improved in Haiti since the steps were taken. In fact, the situation has worsened.

The deployment of the first contingent of the 5,500-GSF is still uncertain even as the U.S. pushes for general elections, which last took place in 2016, and last week gangs escalated their attacks. The latter, led the State Department on Monday to revoke the visa of a member of the ruling presidential council, Fritz Alphonse Jean. Jean has vehemently denied the accusations, and in a scathing press conference on Tuesday accused the U.S. of threatening him and others because they want to fire the prime minister over “incompetence.”

A State Department spokesperson, responding to a Miami Herald inquiry about Jean’s claims, said “We will not comment on or speculate about private diplomatic discussions or unverified reports.”

In another recent example reflecting conditions in Haiti: Over the weekend, a group of members of Congress, mostly Republicans, visited the Dominican Republic after canceling plans to travel to Port-au-Prince amid safety and logistics concerns.

“It makes absolutely no sense for the U.S. to terminate TPS for Haiti at this critical time, where the admiration has acknowledged the ongoing political crisis in Haiti to the point of having a Level 4 ‘Do not travel’ warning to the country,” Jozef said. “They must protect the Haitian who have called the U.S. home for over a decade, those who are already here, who have families, who have businesses in their adoptive communities.”

It’s not the first time the administration has tried to revoke TPS for Haitians. Soon after taking office this year, Trump attempted to rollback an extension given under the Biden administration. The decision was overridden by a New York federal judge, who said Noem had no authority to shorten the designation. The decision was part of a lawsuit spearheaded by a group of lawyers that, included Miami immigration attorney Ira Kurzban.

The suit was amended earlier this year to prevent the administration from ending the designation. Kurzban, who also successfully sued DHS during the first Trump administration after it sought to revoke TPS for Haitians, said the administration’s rationale for ending TPS is based on “outright lies.”

“Haiti is in political and economic turmoil due in large measure to U.S. foreign policy, including by the current administration. The reasons offered to terminate TPS are frivolous and include mischaracterizations and outright lies,” he said.

“They are a product of Trump, [Vice President JD] Vance and Sec. Noem’s actions that demonstrate hatred of Haitians and racism toward Black refugees.”

This story was originally published November 26, 2025 at 12:30 PM.

-Jacqueline Charles has reported on Haiti and the English-speaking Caribbean for the Miami Herald for over a decade. A Pulitzer Prize finalist for her coverage of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, she was awarded a 2018 Maria Moors Cabot Prize — the most prestigious award for coverage of the Americas.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 11 novembre 2025

IBC Air opens Miami–Les Cayes flights, sells out first weeks

Tickets for IBC Air’s inaugural flights are priced between $300 and $600 — far cheaper than other routes to Haiti.

by Fritznel D. Octave and  Juhakenson Blaise Nov. 05, 2025

THE HAITIAN TIMES

IBC Air will begin operating the first direct passenger flights between Miami, Florida, and Les Cayes, Haiti, on Nov. 10, marking a major step toward improving regional connectivity. The new route meets strong demand from southern Haitians in the diaspora seeking a cheaper, faster option to travel home.

LES CAYES, Haiti — IBC Air is set to inaugurate its first passenger flight on Nov. 10, connecting travelers from Miami International Airport to Antoine Simon Airport in Les Cayes, Haiti. The much-anticipated international route — with three daily flights planned — marks a major step toward improving regional air access to southern Haiti.

The launch responds to a growing demand from the Haitian diaspora, particularly those from the southern region. According to IBC agents at the Les Cayes airport counters on Tuesday, tickets are already sold out through Nov. 26, underscoring strong public interest in a more direct and affordable travel option.

On its website, flyibcair.com, IBC Air first listed round-trip fares between $300 and $600. Prices have since increased to between $630 to $860 with demand. But the Fort Lauderdale-based carrier’s fares are still significantly lower than those of its competitors. One traveler reported that they recently paid $1,400 for a Miami–Cap-Haïtien round-trip ticket, plus an additional $250 to continue to Les Cayes. Sunrise Airways is the company currently managing commercial flight service from Florida to Cap-Haïtien.

Plans for commercial service between Les Cayes and Miami were first announced in June 2025 by Dimitri Fouchard, an IBC Air representative. Despite a successful test flight, the airline was still awaiting final clearance from Haiti’s National Airport Authority (AAN) to operate at Antoine Simon.

At the time, Fouchard said that the international airport, with its 6,100-foot runway, could safely accommodate Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft, and that only minor terminal works remained before service could begin.

With this week’s announcement of IBC’s first flight, it appears that final authorization from the AAN has now been granted.

At Antoine Simon International Airport, key structures appear to be ready. The airline has invested in building its new check-in counters, creating a more organized and modern setup for travelers. Staff are already on site to assist passengers, underscoring the airport’s readiness to welcome its first commercial international flight.

Bookings for the inaugural flight opened shortly after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) renewed its flight restrictions to Haiti through March 7, 2026, due to ongoing security concerns. IBC Air reports having obtained the necessary clearances to operate between Miami and Les Cayes, in full compliance with federal regulations.

The airline has not yet announced plans to expand its services to other Haitian cities, but the launch of this route suggests a gradual growth strategy may be underway. IBC Air has not responded to The Haitian Times email for comments about possible future destinations.

Haitian neighborhoods help fuel Mamdani’s historic win in NYC mayoral race

Flatbush, East Flatbush, Canarsie and other immigrant-heavy districts deliver wide margins for the city’s first Muslim mayor

by The Haitian Times Nov. 05, 2025

Overview:

Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City Tuesday with the backing of key Haitian American neighborhoods, marking a historic victory and signaling growing political power within the diaspora.

By The Associated Press | Additional editing and reporting by The Haitian Times

NEW YORK — Neighborhoods home to some of the largest Haitian American communities in New York City helped power Zohran Mamdani to a historic victory Tuesday night, as the 34-year-old assemblymember was elected the city’s first Muslim, South Asian and African-born mayor.

In Flatbush, East Flatbush, Canarsie, East New York, Jamaica, and Hollis — neighborhoods long anchored by working-class Haitian families — voters delivered double-digit margins in favor of Mamdani, a democratic socialist whose campaign emphasized affordability, immigrant protections and solidarity with marginalized communities.

Mamdani carried Flatbush by 57 points, East Flatbush by 25, Canarsie by 24, East New York by 21, and Jamaica by 27, according to early returns published by The New York Times.

An estimated 183,000 Haitians call the five boroughs home, with significant numbers living in central and south Brooklyn and southeast Queens. Demographers have said that about one-third, an estimated 57,000, are U.S. citizens who make up an engaged electorate that votes regularly.

Tuesday night’s results confirmed what many Haitian organizers predicted last month in a Zoom meeting hosted by Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, where community leaders — many who had first supported challenger Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic Primary— laid out strategies to mobilize voters behind Mamdani.

“While being with him through the churches and the streets of Flatbush and working with community members, he definitely resonated with them,” Bichotte Hermelyn said. “He has listened to them, and it’s been with sincerity.”

Other Haitian American elected officials, including Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest and Council Member Farah Louis, also endorsed Mamdani after the Democratic primary, citing his promises to defend immigrant rights and lower the cost of living.

“We are not asking for a lot,” Forrest said during the October meeting. “What we are asking for is a life of dignity — and now we’re going to make it happen together. Zohran is for us.”

A commanding win

Mamdani defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa in a high-turnout race, with more than 2 million ballots cast — the largest in over five decades. With roughly 90% of the vote counted, Mamdani held a 9-point lead over Cuomo.

The mood at Mamdani’s victory party in Brooklyn was jubilant. Supporters cheered, waved the New York City flag and danced to reggaetón and konpa as The Associated Press called the race.

Cuomo, speaking at a subdued event in Manhattan, conceded with a warning: “Almost half of New Yorkers did not vote to support a government agenda that makes promises that we know cannot be met.”

Still, he offered to help Mamdani transition into office. “Tonight was their night.”

The Haitian vote: Organized and energized

From making an appearance at Michael Brun’s Bayo show in Brooklyn this summer to standing with TPS advocates in Little Haiti, Mamdani began outreach to the young and the worried in Haitian communities early on. Continuing his grassroots ground game, organizers canvassed neighborhoods like Canarsie, Flatbush, East Flatbush and Queens Village, distributing translated materials in Kreyòl and French and building WhatsApp groups to share information.

“Access to information is everything in our community,” said one attendee during October’s strategy session. “There can be great programs, but if we don’t know about them, we can’t benefit.”

Mamdani’s campaign team said those concerns were being addressed through multilingual outreach and partnerships with community-based organizations.

Louis noted Mamdani’s outreach across Caribbean communities, where he promised to protect Haitian immigrants from ICE raids and include culturally responsive policies in City Hall.

What’s next for City Hall?

Mamdani takes office Jan. 1 and has promised an ambitious agenda that includes:

• Free citywide bus service
• Free child care
• Rent freezes
• A new Department of Community Safety to respond to mental health crises
• City-run grocery stores in food deserts

He will face pressure from centrist Democrats, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, who opposes his plan to raise taxes on the wealthy to fund his proposals.

In this Q&A, the Queens Assemblymember and mayoral hopeful shares his vision for affordable housing, public safety, and restoring dignity to immigrant New Yorkers.

His stance on policing will also be closely watched. Mamdani, who once called the NYPD a “rogue agency,” has since apologized and pledged to keep the current police commissioner in place.

National figures have already weighed in. President Donald Trump, who previously threatened to cut federal funds to the city if Mamdani won, posted “…AND SO IT BEGINS!” on Truth Social Tuesday night.

In his victory speech, Mamdani addressed Trump directly.

“New York will remain a city of immigrants, built by immigrants, powered by immigrants — and now, led by an immigrant,” he said. “If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it’s the city that gave rise to him.”

A notable moment for Haitian American civic power

For the Haitian diaspora — long active in union organizing, education and immigrant justice — Mamdani’s victory marks continued progress in politics. Although Bichotte Hermelyn, who leads the Brooklyn Democratic Party, Louis and other prominent Haitian elected officials first supported the scandal-plagued incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, then Cuomo in the primary, they began boosting Mamdani over the summer. 

Meanwhile, in addition to his mailing fliers and making high profile appearances, Mandani’s canvassers knocked on doors in multistory buildings to encourage turnout. Haitian voters responded, helping elect a mayor who has promised to reflect their priorities and protect their dignity.

As the Zoom meeting closed last month, organizers created a ‘Haitians for Zohran’ WhatsApp group to coordinate voter outreach through Election Day. With Mamdani’s win now official, many are preparing to hold him accountable — and ensure Haitian voices are represented in City Hall.

“This is not just about a win,” said Louis. “It’s about building a city where our communities are finally seen.”

Cholera fears rise in Haiti after Hurricane Melissa flooding

Health officials warn of links between new infections to contaminated water and poor sanitation after storm

by Juhakenson Blaise Nov. 06, 2025

Overview:

Health authorities in Haiti are warning of a cholera surge following Hurricane Melissa, which flooded key regions and contaminated drinking water supplies. While more than 2,900 suspected cases and 27 deaths have been reported since January, officials say recent spikes in neighborhoods like Pétion-Ville and Gran Gosier raise fears of a wider outbreak. The threat is compounded by insecurity, lack of clean water, and failing health infrastructure.

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haitian health authorities are warning of a possible cholera surge in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, which brought heavy flooding and worsened already fragile sanitation conditions across the country.

Although Haiti’s public health ministry has reported more than 2,900 suspected cholera cases and 27 related deaths since January, officials say flooding from Hurricane Melissa has contaminated water sources and sharply increased the risk of a wider outbreak — particularly in areas like Pétion-Ville, where more than 130 suspected cases, including 20 confirmed and five deaths, were recorded in a single week last month. Human Rights Watch, citing its own assessment, reported 48 cholera-related deaths and 186 confirmed cases nationwide between Jan. 1 and Oct. 30 — a higher count than the government’s figures — and noted that more than a third of victims were children under 9. The group said the rise in cases in Pétion-Ville and surrounding neighborhoods such as Delmas, Tabarre, and Carrefour reflects a resurgence after 11 weeks without new infections.

“Access to clean water, sanitation, and community engagement are crucial in fighting waterborne diseases,” Public Health Minister Sinal Bertrand said, urging residents to boil water and take precautions as public health teams ramp up response efforts.

Officials at the Minister of Public Health and Population (MSPP) said heavy flooding from Hurricane Melissa has contaminated several water sources and wells used by locals. They warned of increased risks of other diseases, including typhoid, malaria, and acute diarrhea.

“Access to clean drinking water, community sanitation, and citizen engagement are crucial in the fight against waterborne diseases.”

Sinal Bertrand, Public Health Ministernormal

“Cholera is once again threatening thousands of lives in Haiti because the population lacks access to basic services such as clean water, sanitation, and medical care,” said Nathalye Cotrino, a researcher at Human Rights Watch. 

“The epidemic, which coincides with the seasonal increase during the rainy period, is spreading in Port-au-Prince and its metropolitan area, while the capital’s health infrastructure is on the verge of collapse and insecurity is worsening.”

To contain the spread, authorities have launched sanitation, fumigation, and pest control in Port-au-Prince and the southern region. They said health teams are running hygiene and food safety campaigns in vulnerable areas.

The ministry said its response is being coordinated with the National Directorate for Drinking Water and Sanitation (DINEPA), Economic and Social Assistance Fund (FAES), and the Ministry of Public Works, with a strategy focused on safe drinking water access and community sanitation.

The resurgence recalled Haiti’s tragic 2010 cholera outbreak, when wastewater discharge from a United Nations base contaminated a river, leading to nearly 10,000 deaths and over 820,000 infections. After years of effort, Haiti went three years without any confirmed cases until the disease resurfaced in 2022.

Health authorities warn of a cholera surge after Hurricane Melissa

• 2,900 suspected cholera cases nationwide since January
• 27 deaths, including 20 in communities and 7 in hospitals
• 139 cases and 5 deaths reported in Pétion-Ville in one week
• 43 deaths from Hurricane Melissa as of Nov. 4

30+ hospitals closed due to attacks and vandalism

According to Human Rights Watch, persistent problems, poor sanitation, limited access to clean water, and a weak emergency preparedness system continue to leave millions at serious risk. The authorities urge the population to boil or treat water, wash hands regularly with soap, avoid raw or undercooked food, and seek immediate medical attention for acute diarrhea.

The country’s healthcare capacity remains dangerously thin. More than 30 healthcare facilities have stopped operating due to vandalism, fires, or gang attacks. Among them is the State University Hospital, the largest hospital located in the capital, and the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) emergency center in Turgeau, which closed last month after multiple armed assaults endangering staff and patients. Many of these closed hospitals previously provided critical medical support for monitoring and treating epidemics.

As part of the national response, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) opened a new cholera treatment center in Bristou, Pétion-Ville, on Oct. 18. In a note, the MSPP said its investigation of water sources in the locality of Diègue, in Pèlerin 5, identified them as the likely origin of the current outbreak.

“On site, the observations made by the minister and experts were clear,” the MSPP said. “There was evident contamination of the water sources due to the proximity of homes and the presence of organic waste.”

The hurricane’s aftermath has also left a heavy human toll — 43 deaths, 13 people missing and thousands displaced in temporary shelters. Conditions in camps for those uprooted by gang violence are particularly dire, with heightened risk of disease.

International partners have pledged emergency aid. The European Union announced €5 million, while the United States committed $8.5 million through UNICEF, Catholic Relief Services, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the World Food Programme (WFP). The funds will go directly to humanitarian agencies rather than the Haitian government.