Christian Aid Ministries held its second "special day of prayer and fasting" for their missionaries who were taken in Haiti more than a month ago. Up to 17 Christian missionaries were abducted in Haiti by the 400 Mawozo gang after they visited an orphanage on October 16. One of the 17 abducted was Canadian, while the rest were American.
On Wednesday, the international ministry shared an update commemorating the 33rd day since the 17 Christian missionaries were held captive in Haiti, the Christian Headlines reported. The statement read, "We invite believers around the world to join us in seeking God for His mighty hand to work. We request ongoing prayer for those being held, the families of the hostages, government officials who are assisting, and the kidnappers themselves."
"'Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite,'" the group cited Psalm 147:5. The prayer request from Christian Aid Ministries came after an unnamed official under the Biden administration confirmed that some of the 17 Christian missionaries still held captive in Haiti were in fact alive.
In a video shared on social media, the 400 Mawozo gang leader, Wilson Joseph, said he would kill the missionaries if his ransom demands of up to $17 million were not satisfied. Joseph warned in the video, "I swear by thunder that if I don't get what I'm asking for, I will put a bullet in the heads of these Americans."
According to the Christian Post, six men, six women, and five children were among the 17 kidnapped missionaries in Haiti. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed that President Joe Biden is briefed on a daily basis with regards to the situation of the missionaries and that the Democratic leader was particularly concerned with the children who were among the victims of the kidnapping.
"I personally give an update on this issue every single day to the president, who is taking a deep interest in making sure we get every single one of those people home safely," Sullivan said. The U.S. State Department has also issued a warning for Americans in Haiti to leave the country immediately in the face of the crisis.
According to Devex, the widespread fuel shortage in Haiti has forced NGOs to cut back on services and decrease staff movement to preserve resources as gangs continue to hinder Haitians from accessing supply. Because gangs are largely in control of supply movement in the Caribbean country, shipments of fuel remain stuck at ports, which are controlled by the gangs.
In October, Haiti's new Prime Minister Ariel Henry acknowledged the fuel shortage for the first time, reassuring citizens that there is supply and issuing a warning to gangs by saying, "If they do not stop their wrongdoing, the law will apply to them. The only option for bandits and all their sponsors is imprisonment or death if they do not want to change professions," Al Jazeera reported.
