‘They don’t have food, water, or a place to sleep’: Haitians in Central Florida worry about turmoil

PINE HILLS, Fla. — The Haitian community in Central Florida is dealing with the uncertainty of the civil arrest in their home country.

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The political instability there has come to a head as its population continues to struggle with the humanitarian crisis.

“It’s really impactful in my life to know that I am here just me, and I’m not able to spend time with my family,” said Occilia Fleuridor, who moved to the U.S. from Haiti decades ago.

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Most of Fleuridor’s family is still back there, while others, like her niece Joceline, fled to nearby countries. “There’s nothing – no medicine, no water, not even a home anymore,” Joceline said in Spanish via video chat.

Many Central Florida residents watch from a distance as the country continues to fall into civil unrest.

On Monday, a Spirit Airlines plane flying from Fort Lauderdale was diverted after it was struck by gunfire while landing in the country.

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“I heard clack, clack, clack, you know, three times,” said David Desrouleaux, a passenger who was on the plane. “A couple of us in the plane, we recognize the noise as being gunshots.”

JetBlue and American Airlines planes were also targeted.

Now, FAA has banned U.S. flights from landing in Haiti for 30 days.

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Haitians living in Central Florida are now concerned for their families back home.

“This is sad because you have family members that are there that need food. They can’t go nowhere,” said an Orlando resident who was at the Haitian Consulate on Wednesday.

She did not want to say her name but still wanted to share her story. “They don’t have food, water, or a place to sleep. It’s just so painful.”

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According to the U.N., more than 1,700 people have been killed in Haiti due to gang violence between the months of July and September of 2024 – the Orlando resident’s sister was one of them.

“She went home after church, with her son, 11 years old, and she received a bullet in the head,” she said. “She just fell down in front of her son. The worst part was seeing my mom, who just buried her baby girl.”

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