Folks,
I recently flew back to Haiti from the US. My trips used to take about 2/3rds of a day. They are now longer and more complicated.
I used to fly into Port au Prince. Friends would meet me and we would drive the 90 minute trip to Leogone.
Those days are gone. I now fly to PAP and then spend the night in a hotel. On Day Two I fly in a very small plane up to Jacmel so as to avoid the dangerous and impassible road from PAP to Leogone. Friends now meet me in Jacmel, and we drive over the mountains to Leogone.
My last trip was disrupted further. When we arrived in PAP, the police would not let us leave the airport. We stayed inside for nearly two hours because “The streets are too hot”. They finally deemed it safe enough to leave, and I went to the hotel.
The next morning I received a phone call at my hotel. My flight to Jacmel was delayed. Again “The streets are too hot” was the explanation. I could hear the rapid gun fire that seems to be roaming gangs shooting their machine guns into the air.
About four hours later, we could travel back to the airport. From there I flew on safely. I am glad to be here but in a few weeks I will make the trip again. It is such a tragedy that Haiti continues to sink into ever harder daily life for its people.
Michael Anello
Executive Director
