Food en route to the starving Haitian provisional detainees and

Port-au-Prince, Haiti, December 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Defendants and detainees in 20 overcrowded Haitian prisons across the country will regularly receive life-saving food assistance over the next three months through a joint effort by relief from nonprofits World Hope International, Rise Against Hunger, Health through Walls and AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

Despite the significant efforts of the international community, the proportion of people in pre-trial detention in Haitian prisons has continued to grow and has reached 82% of the overall prison population.

This has resulted in extreme overcrowding in most prisons, and detainees have limited access to the outdoors and to sanitation services. Due to irregular and insufficient supplies, the estimated 11,000 prisoners and detainees have extremely limited access to food, water and health services in prisons, often receiving less than one meal a day.

Malnutrition makes people more susceptible to infectious diseases and, once infected, more likely to have a poor prognosis. Malnutrition also exacerbates chronic diseases. To meet all these needs, the Haitian Prison Authority needs more capacity according to Dr John May, president of HtW.

In response to the crisis, Rise Against Hunger hired 12 containers of food from across the United States to feed this population for three months. World Hope International will handle the logistics of transporting and importing food into Haiti, and the Health through Walls and AIDS Healthcare Foundation will distribute the supplies to 20 prisons across the continent.

“World Hope International has been operating in Haiti since 1996 and we have just completed similar logistical support for our partners in response to the August earthquake,” said John Lyon, CEO and President of World Hope International. “We believe that everyone should have access to food and other vital resources like clean water. We are pleased to be able to form this relief consortium with Rise Against Hunger, Health through Walls and AIDS Healthcare Foundation to ensure that these inmates and prisoners receive the food and hope they need during this difficult time in Haiti. ”

“As the effects of the August 7.2 magnitude earthquake, political turmoil and heightened unrest spread across Haiti, Rise Against Hunger has been particularly focused on meeting health needs. food security for the Haitian people, ”said Barry Mattson, CEO of Rise Against Hunger. “In this time of crisis, in addition to supporting school feeding programs and earthquake affected communities, we are also supporting individuals in prisons across the country who receive food only sporadically. Access to food is a basic human right, and the meals provided by Rise Against Hunger will ensure that those in detention can have a constant source of food. The joint efforts only underscore the complex nature of the work in Haiti, and we look forward to working with these organizations to meet this humanitarian need.

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About World Hope International
World Hope International tackles global poverty with sustainable, local solutions that promote dignity and create opportunity and hope in the communities where it works. World Hope International responds to both acute crises and systemic challenges by partnering with local communities to implement the most sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions – initiatives that are community owned and focused on their community. vision of a better future. World Hope International does this through strong partnerships that share its compassion for those who have been marginalized. Visit www.worldhope.org to learn more or follow World Hope International on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About health through the walls

Health through Walls (HtW) is a US 501 (c) 3 organization registered in Florida in 2005 with a mission to help developing countries implement lasting improvements in the health services of their prisons. A main goal of this effort is the identification, prevention and management of infectious and contagious diseases, in particular HIV and tuberculosis.

HtW collaborates with the Direction de l’Administration Pénitentiaire (DAP) of Haiti under the direction of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) to identify needs and implement sustainable programs to improve health, sanitation and security of the prison environment. These programs include medical screening, treatment and discharge planning to improve the continuity of care upon discharge. This model has aroused the admiration of other countries and HtW has received requests for it to be reproduced. Over the past 15 years, HtW has aggressively localized funds for prisons in Haiti to implement improvements in the diagnosis of infectious diseases, such as HIV and tuberculosis. Haiti’s prisons are among the most overcrowded in the world. Overcrowding contributes to the spread of infectious diseases through various routes. First, overcrowding makes sanitation, maintenance and security more difficult. Poor sanitation spreads disease. Second, overpopulation is straining resources and food supplies. Malnutrition plagues many people in the prison system, especially those without visits or those who are unable to speak out. Visit https://healththroughwalls.org/ to learn more or follow Health through Walls on Facebook and Instagram.

About the AIDS Healthcare Foundation

The Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global, non-profit organization that provides cutting-edge medicines and advocacy to more than one million people in 43 countries. We are currently the largest provider of HIV / AIDS medical care in the United States.

By advocating big goals, such as having 1 billion people tested each year, AHF hopes to eliminate older and time-consuming methods. Since 1987, AHF has treated thousands of people living with HIV and AIDS around the world.

AHF became active in Haiti in 2006. AHF Haiti currently provides care to incarcerated populations in collaboration with another NGO, Health Through Walls. The incarcerated population is a very vulnerable population in Haiti, and AHF Haiti even provides care to people after release from prison so that there is no disruption in treatment. Partners of HIV-positive people in prison can also be tested for HIV so that they too can know their status and be referred to care if needed. AHF Haiti conducts mass screening campaigns focused on people visiting Haitians incarcerated in the national prison system to help identify people with HIV and involve them in care. In addition, AHF Haiti has an independent clinic in Port-au-Prince that provides testing and treatment services to the public.

Visit https://www.aidshealth.org/global/Haiti/ and https://tessidagratis.ht/ to learn more or follow AHF Haiti on Facebook and Instagram.

About Rise Against Hunger

Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization, is building a global movement to end hunger by empowering communities, nurturing lives and responding to emergencies. With locations across the United States and five international offices, the organization provides immediate food to those hungry today and implements lasting solutions that will uplift entire communities for years to come. Rise Against Hunger has facilitated volunteer meal packaging of more than 540 million meals for distribution in countries around the world. To learn more about Rise Against Hunger’s efforts to end world hunger, please visit www.riseagainsthunger.org.