ORLANDO, Fla. — Hundreds of Americans are still stuck in Haiti -- weeks after gangs took over most of the country.
▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS
It was their faith that led nine missionaries from Mission of Grace to Haiti last month.
“We went to help serve a mission that just moved 200 orphans up into the mountains to keep them safe,” said Natalie Cross.
Read: 77-year-old attacks woman with service dog, breaking her hip
That two-week mission turned into a month.
“For me, it was just knowing that I was there because God told me to go. So, I’ve just had a peace the whole time,” said Cross.
Cross is one of about 500 Floridians who were stranded after gangs took over the island, including the airports. Now, she’s one of about 185 people rescued from the violence.
“It’s been a long day. It’s been a long week, but we’re super excited to be this far. And we’re just we’re grateful,” said Cross.
It hasn’t been an easy task nor a cheap one. Costs have already reached about 8 million dollars.
“We would love to load up a 747 with about 400 people and just do one flight and be done. That’s what we would love to do,” said Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie. “Unfortunately, we don’t have that kind of cooperation.”
Read: DeSantis vs. Disney: Settlement reached in lawsuit
Instead, the state is having to use other tactics. Helicopters to fly groups out of Port-Au-Prince to Cap-Haïtien Airport, then put them on smaller planes.
“We’re trying to work as fast as we possibly can,” said Guthrie.
There are also talks about relocating Haitian migrants to other parts of the state. But currently, the state does not have enough volunteers to make that possible.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2024 Cox Media Group
