Haiti fuel shortage: UNICEF delivers 6,000 gallons fuel to 3 hospitals

Port-au-Prince, Haiti: Amid the fuel shortage in Haiti, major three hospitals in the islands’ capital city received 6,000 gallons of fuel from UNICEF – United Nations Children’s Fund. As per UNICEF Haiti’s Chief of Communications – Ndiaga Seck, more of the assistance will arrive today.

Yesterday, Seck cited that, “Yesterday and Today, UNICEF was able to deliver atleast 6,000 gallons of much-needed fuel to the three hospitals in Port-au-Prince despite insecurity and gang criminality”.

Following the statement, Seck added, “This new provision of fuel will enable them to resume their lifesaving services, especially to the newborns and pregnant women”.

Although Seck highlighted the current situation of the Caribbean island and stated that there are many hospital facilities who are running out of fuel, which has further disrupted their emergency services.

Hundreds of lives are currently suffering and in danger amid the fuel shortage in Haiti; these also include the lives of newborns, pregnant women and COVID-19 patients. The Prime Minister – Ariel Henry, recently in his televised prerecorded address, has assured the general public of the island country that the situation is under the control of the government, adding that the nation will not run out of fuel, but the ground report says a different story.

UNICEF earlier last week already warned about the fuel crisis in Haiti, noting that they had received alarming messages from the hospital facilities.

The Deputy Representative of UNICEF for Haiti – Raoul De Torcy, previous week stated that “With the insecurity that reigns in Port-au-Prince, the lives of many women of childbearing age and newborn babies are in danger because the hospitals which should provide them with the lifesaving care cannot operate as the island country faces fuel crisis”.

Haiti is an impoverished nation in the Latin American and Caribbean region who is currently battling political instability, COVID-19 outbreak, gang violence, poverty, hunger crisis and now fuel shortage.