Children beaten after a football match turned violent, a woman accused of witchcraft and murdered, a person killed while traveling from one village to another — these are just a few of the stories of Haitians suffering under gang violence.

Death or attack feel unpredictable in the country, leaving many anxious to survive.

Though gangs were partially pushed from Port-au-Prince, their violence has spread to the outskirts and rural areas. Roseline DeHart from For Haiti With Love said, “Lives are getting harder every day. Things are very hard right now in Haiti, and Haiti needs help from its neighbors.”

Aerial view of Port-au-Prince (Photo courtesy of Matteo Favre via Pexels)

Since July, more than 1,200 people have been killed in gang attacks, self-defense retaliation, and army operations. Over 700 were wounded. On top of that, sexual abuse and kidnappings are widespread. Victims of the gangs are often chosen at random, including children.

DeHart added, “We need other countries to realize that Haiti needs help, to come and help Haiti.”

For Haiti With Love continue their work of Gospel in Haiti, helping those displaced, local communities, children, and more. They are also preparing a Christmas celebration for hundreds of kids with hot meals, toys, and the Gospel.

DeHart says, “We want to help as many as we can, but so many people have moved into the Cap-Haïtien area, and there are street kids everywhere. It’s become overwhelming, and we’re doing the best we can with what we have.”

Among their ministries is a free burn clinic. After patients are treated and reach for their wallets, staff tell them Jesus has already paid the cost. DeHart explained, “That’s when they break out crying and want to know who this Jesus is. And then we tell them about Jesus!”

The overwhelming need for help opens doors for prayer and giving. Find your place in the story: join the spiritual battle for the people of Haiti, and if you want to help in practical ways, visit the For Haiti With Love website.

Man standing on the mountain, Haiti (Photo courtesy of Kelly via Pexels).

In October, Haitian officials declared that plans for 2026 general elections will have to be delayed due to expanding gang power. 

“It’s not a surprise that elections get delayed. It’s something that we’ve seen a number of times over the last couple of decades,” says Kate Michel with Radio-TV 4VEH, a ministry partner of Trans World Radio. 

Michel says that with more than 10% of Haiti’s 12 million people displaced, “just thinking of the logistics of how elections could be held, it’s hard to see how they could be run fairly and safely.” 

Meanwhile, life in Cap Haitien in northern Haiti is congested. Many people have fled there, away from gang violence. Michel says there’s an underlying fear that gangs in central Haiti will carry out their threats to come north. It’s one more factor that makes the gospel-centered broadcasts from 4VEH even more important for Haitians.

A Haitian woman sits in the tent encampment set up in Place Boyer, in Pétion-Ville, Haiti. (Photo courtesy of IMB)

The prayer support and biblical foundations of 4VEH’s programming remind listeners “that they have a solid foundation to stand on, and that is the Word of God and His promises, and those things that we can hold fast to,” says Michel.

Find your place in Haiti’s story

In all the turmoil, remember that Haiti is no different from other nations in its need for God’s mercy and grace to move forward.

Please pray for fair elections in Haiti next year that will build stability. Pray also for 4VEH, as it is dealing with some broken equipment and rising costs. 

“There are some people who would normally be connected to 4VEH who are not able to get those broadcasts. So we really would value the prayer to get those pieces of equipment fixed so that people can hear the programs again,” says Michel.

“We’ve seen inflation go up dramatically, and that has an impact on all of the day-to-day operations. Pray that the Lord will meet those needs so that we don’t have to cut any of the ministry that we offer.” 

Header photo courtesy of 4VEH.

Officials say the worst of the flooding struck Haiti’s southern region. Houses collapsed or were swept away, and people were still trapped under rubble as of Wednesday.

Laurent Saint-Cyr, president of Haiti’s transitional presidential council, says the government is mobilizing resources for search and rescue operations and emergency relief.

(Image courtesy of Friends of Radio-TV 4VEH, The Evangelistic Voice of Haiti via Facebook)

Haitians in the capital, Port-au-Prince — already displaced by gang violence — were hit as torrential rain flooded makeshift shelters and tent homes.

Kate Michel with Radio-TV 4VEH, a partner ministry of Trans World Radio in Haiti, says the loss is compounded by Haitians’ living situations.

“A lot of Haiti’s people are living in very vulnerable areas,” Michel explains. “They may be living in vulnerable housing that doesn’t really withstand strong winds. They may be living on the side of a hill or mountain that, when there’s a lot of heavy rainfall, the streams just come flooding down the hillside.

“My expectation is that we will see and hear more news of perhaps lives lost or people injured, people missing, homes affected, roads cut off, [and] communities stranded.”

While the storm battered Haiti’s south, 4VEH’s broadcast center on the northern coast continues to operate. In times of crisis, 4VEH becomes a practical and spiritual lifeline.

“A lot of the areas where we broadcast have no other radio stations or connections with the outside world,” Michel says. “So, particularly when there’s a very serious storm coming, we may change our programming hours, we may do more live broadcasts… and then we always have a very strong focus on prayer during our daily broadcasts.”

Now, as Haiti reels from the floods, Michel urges believers to pray. “People will have lost friends, neighbors, and family members. Maybe they’ve lost their homes and their crops and their livelihoods…. Let’s pray that the Lord will raise up the help that they need.”

Header photo: Hurricane Melissa (Photo by ABI imagery from NOAA’S GOES-19 Satellite – EOSDIS Worldview, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=177446071)

Gang violence, malnutrition, and loss of educational services and infrastructure feed into each other, forming a “polycrisis” that threatens Haiti’s Next Generation.

(Photo courtesy of Zach Vessels via Unsplash)

A lack of schooling makes kids especially vulnerable to danger. Even when people flee to areas where there are schools, “They don’t have the money, because all they took with them is the clothes on their backs,” For Haiti With Love’s Roseline DeHart explains.

“Surviving is a priority.”

Many displaced families and kids live on the streets. “This is also a problem,” De Hart says, “because anybody can give those kids money to go do any trouble – anything they want them to do – just for survival.”

For Haiti With Love points the people they serve to God and to hope in Him for their future. When they have the budget, they give food, build homes, and offer a school support program.

“We always tell them that God doesn’t want them to live like that. Even though the country is the way it is, it’s not God’s plan,” De Hart says.

“They’re the future of Haiti. They can go to school and make it better, and God has a plan for them.”

Pray for God’s mercy on Haiti and consider giving financially to For Haiti With Love. “We just keep doing all we can, and we ask for support so we can continue to do it,” De Hart says.

Header image depicts Haitian children circa 2014. Photo credit MNN/Katey Hearth. 

“I can see where, if a gang is willing to help take care of children, maybe even giving them food, that kind of thing, that would be a draw for them to join a gang,” said Yoder. “I don’t think of young children. I think of young teenage boys, especially, that I know in Port-au-Prince that I’ve got a concern about, just because that could be a draw, being able to help themselves or help their families by joining the gang.”

As much as 90 percent of Port-au-Prince is under gang influence, according to previous UN reports, resulting in blocked roads, limited public services, rapidly increasing costs for essential supplies, as well as many Haitians fleeing their homes.

Amidst the unrest and economic insecurity, CWO works with in-country leadership and staff to understand and address the emotional, spiritual, and educational needs of Haitians. Their main purpose is reaching families with the gospel, says Yoder.

“We just pray that God will speak to these children and their families as they go through this difficult time, and that the gospel takes hold with people. We’re seeing ministry continue on, not in every place where we’ve been in the past, because people have completely left one of the towns where we had a feminine training center, but in Port-au-Prince, in other places, we’re seeing ministry go on with our churches and the feminine training center and the feeding program.”

Yoder asks fellow Christians to pray for CWO’s staff and ministry, as well as for divine intervention.

“Just pray that somehow God will intervene and things will change in Haiti to where people can be reached for the gospel. Pray for safety of our staff as they continue on their continuing ministry, despite the difficult situation they’re in. And if they want to give, it would be great to have new donors join in and support the ministry as we continue on.”

Header photo courtesy of Christian World Outreach.

Christian World Outreach’s (CWO) Greg Yoder says, “First of all, we thank God that these people that were kidnapped have been released, and [we are] just grateful that their lives were spared – others have not been.”

Their safe return brings relief, but it also highlights the ongoing instability gripping the nation, fueled by gang violence and targeted kidnappings.

Children’s feeding program by CWO in Haiti. (Photo courtesy of Christian World Outreach)

Around 1.3 million Haitians have fled their homes and are now internally displaced — a 24% increase since the end of 2024.

“We have seen or heard reports of some of the towns, especially in the north where people have been displaced to. The way it was described — it being one of the cities — it’s like ants,” says Yoder.

“You just add more people, which probably adds food insecurity in those areas. That’s how it affects ministries like Christian World Outreach.”

CWO is seeing the impact of displacement firsthand through its children’s feeding program. “We’re just seeing an increase,” says Yoder. “Eighty children gathered in one of our places where we have a feeding program, which is a little bit higher than the norm.”

Pray for an end to the violence and instability permeating Haitian life, and for people to turn to Jesus for hope. Ask the Lord to sustain CWO’s ministry with supporters and spiritual encouragement.

Yoder also urges prayer for the newly freed captives: “Emotionally, that God would heal there. I’m not sure what all they went through, but I’m sure that emotionally it was a draining month. [Pray] that God will work in their lives and they can get back to somewhat of a normal life that they had at that center.”

*Some reports say nine people total were kidnapped from the compound.

Header photo from 2020 of a suburb of Port-au-Prince. (Photo courtesy of Reynaldo Mirault/Unsplash)

The wave of systematic kidnappings in Haiti reveals an ongoing power struggle for gang domination.

Kate Michel from 4VEH, a ministry partner of Trans World Radio, says, “It’s a power struggle to gain control of neighborhoods, to gain control of influencing people. And unfortunately, it’s the Haitian people who are paying the price.”

Yet, there is hope!

Radio (Photo courtesy of Pixabay via Pexels)

Kate Michel shares a moving testimony. A pastor from Cap-Haitien was kidnapped by a gang a few years ago.

“The kidnappers had forced him to put on headphones and blasted the radio into them, assuming it would distract and disturb him. But the radio was tuned to our radio station, 4VEH,” she says.

It was the same station he listened to every day, so the kidnappers unknowingly filled his captivity with encouragement and comfort! After his release, he shared the story with the 4VEH audience.

Another testimony tells of a gang member, trained mercenary, who was stopped from committing murder by a dream from God. Michel recounts, “This guy was on a mission to kill someone, but God stopped him. He ended up at 4VEH and gave his life to the Lord.”

“The gangs may be beyond the reach of the rule of law, but they are not beyond the reach of the Gospel!” Michel says.

These stories show that God is still working in Haiti — and that your prayers matter.

“We believe that in this time of real suffering, God is going to work through it, strengthen people, and bring a harvest,” she adds.

The way the Haitian church is responding is by going to the Lord in prayer. “It’s something that we see Haitians doing anyway — desperately praying for daily survival, protection, and blessing from the Lord, given the spiritual context they’re in as well,” says Michel. When there’s an attack on believers, it draws people to prayer and worship.

Pray for those recently kidnapped from the orphanage near Port-au-Prince — and for the salvation of gang members. Visit 4VEH to read more of their testimonies!

Header photo courtesy of Maxim Hopman via Unsplash.

As of Thursday, August 7, businessman Laurent Saint-Cyr is now the head of Haiti’s transitional presidential council. He is supposed to serve a three-month term before Haiti begins steps toward a 2026 general election.

Also last week, the U.S. announced a $93 million emergency food aid package. Supplies will go to Haiti and 12 African nations.

Medical clinic (Photo courtesy of For Haiti With Love)

The aid is desperately needed. According to a May-June 2025 report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, half of the people in Haiti face high levels of acute food insecurity. Makenson Saint Fleur, an attorney with For Haiti with Love, takes it a step further. “Somewhere in Haiti, people eat the dirt.” 

Regarding government leadership, Saint Fleur says candidly that some officials actually work with gangs. “They do nothing for the people. They do nothing for peace, nothing for security,” he said. 

Although the team at For Haiti has a security guard, Saint Fleur says this means nothing in a country where gangs run rampant in many places and leaders can be assassinated like President Jovenel Moïse was in 2021. 

Still, For Haiti continues to operate a clinic and distribute aid in the name of Jesus. “We teach the people the gospel, the Bible, but they still just need food, need clothes, need something to survive,” said Saint Fleur. 

In these struggles, pray over Haiti and the ongoing gospel ministry of For Haiti With Love.

“Haiti need[s] prayer,” said Saint Fleur. “We need more [resources] to help the people. We need more [things] like clinic supplies, like food, like clothes.” 

Header photo courtesy of For Haiti With Love. 

The missionary, Gena Heraty, is known for her decades-long care for children with disabilities. EU officials are working to secure the group’s release.

The kidnapping happened not far from the Haiti office of Christian World Outreach (CWO). CWO staff weren’t targeted, but the ministry is feeling the strain of daily unrest.

“We have not directly been affected by any kidnappings or anything recently,” says CWO President Greg Yoder. “But it’s caused ministry to slow down and sometimes be postponed, especially in the Port-au-Prince area.”

Women learning sewing skills at a feminine training center. (Photo courtesy of Christian World Outreach)

That’s already forced closures elsewhere. In Mirebalais, another hot zone for gang control, violence has emptied the streets.

Yoder explains, “Recently, with the gangs kind of taking over Mirebalais, that shut down our Feminine Training Center there because pretty much everybody left town.”

Still, CWO isn’t pulling out. If anything, the team sees the chaos as a reminder of why they’re there in the first place. Haiti needs Christ more than ever.

“Our goal is to use those opportunities to share the Gospel. Our hope is, even during these difficult times, that it makes people think about their lives and eternity.”

CWO-partnered churches and training centers continue to meet when they can — sometimes online, sometimes in person, always looking for safe ways to encourage believers and train up leaders.

Pray for God’s protection and encouragement over those who were kidnapped. Petition the Lord for their safe return!

Yoder also asks, “Pray for the believers, that they won’t get discouraged. Pray for them as they evangelize in their communities. Pray for safety of the staff there as they try to continue on with ministry.”

Learn more about CWO’s Haiti ministry.

Header photo features a child in Haiti. (Photo courtesy of TopSphere Media/Unsplash)

Haiti, plagued by gang violence and instability, has a desperate need for hope. While Christians can’t always physically reach those in need, radio signals do — uninterrupted and unrestricted. However, traditional radios relied on batteries, which eventually died, leaving listeners isolated from the uplifting messages they needed.

This challenge has been overcome with the introduction of solar-powered radios. Kate Michel from Radio-TV 4VEH, a ministry partner of Trans World Radio, explains:

(Photo of Haitians courtesy of TopSphere Media via Unsplash.)

“When we give these out in communities, we go door to door, share the Gospel with people, and invite them into a relationship with Jesus. Whether they choose to accept Him that day or not, we leave behind a solar radio for that family. It’s tuned to 4VEH, so they can continue to hear the Gospel content.”

The Gospel content includes preaching, programs on farming, health, and family counseling, along with worship music and the recorded audio Bible.

Their impact has inspired many Haitians and international partners to support the ministry. Michel adds:

“Our listeners have been giving to 4VEH for a long time because they see how important it is — not just in their own lives, but they see that as they contribute to 4VEH, they’re sending the Gospel to places in Haiti where they could never go.”

The 4VEH team carries these solar radios as they visit new communities, freely distributing them. Over the past few years, they’ve distributed more than 20,000 radios! In some instances, a single radio has brought believers together, fostering the growth of church communities and planting one church after another.

Michel also highlights the broader vision:

“The whole project is called Resounding Hope, because we just long to hear the hope of Jesus resounding through Haiti’s countryside, across the mountains, and all of that.”

To support the work of 4VEH,  visit their website. There, you can explore opportunities to give a financial gift, learn more about the ministry, and discover ways to pray and get involved.

Young Haitian man (photo courtesy of Kelly via Pexels)