Dear Supporters of Tytoo.
First, thank you for your generous and unwavering support for Tytoo. I would love to be able to report to you that things are improving in Haiti but unfortunately they are not. Here’s a quote from a recent Reuters News post: “Heavily armed gangs have expanded their turf and now control communities accounting for some two million people, according to U.N. estimates, mostly women and children living amid frequent extra-judicial kill-ings and sexual violence.”
In addition to the violence, food costs and food shortages are result-ing in hunger and starvation. “"Children are malnourished, they need help and the world needs to pay attention," UNICEF Executive Director Cathe-rine Russell said in an interview after visiting the New Church of God of Deliverance camp. The agency estimates over 100,000 children are at imme-diate risk of starving to death, out of total estimated population of around 12 million.
With respect to the Tytoo family, the children are currently being housed in a town several kms to the north from the home village of Simmonette. School for them has resumed in a public school building that has been made available to us in the afternoons.
Main roads are still blocked by the gangs so obtaining food can be difficult, but to date we have been able to obtain sufficient through the use of boats. We have also been able to continue to supply food to our Elders who still live in Simonette although not every month as has been our habit in the past. Needless to say the violence and uncertainty are very traumatic for the children and our staff. Thank you for your support and prayers and please continue to pray.
David Oppertshauser
