Haiti Update - Airport Closure
By now, you probably already heard about the three United States commercial passenger planes that were hit by gang gunfire in Haiti causing Haiti’s main international airport to shut down for the second time this year and when it will reopen remains uncertain. No flights, commercial or passenger, means further isolation to an already struggling country. As of this week, it is estimated that an 85% of Port-Au-Prince is now controlled by gangs. Local news photographer Jean Feguens Regala has reported that armed bandits have invaded new neighborhoods, taking over the main streets, forcing thousands of civilians to flee without warning. His pictures depict families, parents with infants, fleeing through chaos, burning, gunfire taking only what they are able to carry with them. Although police have been deployed to try to stop the advance of the bandits, their presence has continued to be insufficient.
This horrible situation affects our Haitian artist partners in more than one way as their world continues to be turned upside down. They are amongst the many who are having to flee their homes, their workshops, their means of livelihood. They have been separated from their families, living in shelters, and a few have been forced to pay exorbitant fees to flee their country, continuing to risk their lives, in hopes of a better life. Some have tragically lost their neighbors, friends, and family members to violence. Some of our artists have tragically been killed, leaving their families behind with little to no means to provide for themselves. Even with all of this, our artists that remain in Haiti continue having a fighting spirit and continue to find ways to work even with all the instability and turmoil that surrounds them.
At this point, we continue to focus on supporting our artists and friends. A closed airport means the artists are not able to get their art out of the country and, therefore, we are not able to receive their art. However, we have and will continue placing small sporadic orders to continue providing work to our artists until we are able to go back into our “normal” orders when the airport reopens. For this reason, we thank all of our beloved customers, retail and wholesale, who continue supporting It’s Cactus and our artists through these trying times. We may be low or out of stock of some of your winter favorites, but make sure to check out our shop and other items in stock, knowing that every purchase and every order is making a direct difference in our artists lives. We will continue working hard on stocking daily items, many of which are one-of-a-kind, which would make great gifts for family and friends all while supporting our Haitian artists partners and friends.
