Cite Soleil has been called the most dangerous city in the Western Hemisphere and by some accounts, in the world. It’s not hard to see why.

Cite Soleil (French for Sun City) is a densely populated maze of a slum. Gang activity is rife, and the sounds of gunshots pierce the night. Many of the convicts who escaped through a prison break after the earthquake are thought to be hiding out here. With few functioning latrines, dilapidated streets, and thousands of displaced people living in tents, the conditions are deplorable and by many standards, unlivable.




It is nearly impossible to drive a vehicle in the depths of the slum, where broken shacks serve as shelter and raw sewage runs along the edge of the streets. Clouds of flies hover over piles of waste. Giant pieces of rubble clutter back streets, reminders of the destruction that further compromise an already fragile place. A literal sea of trash runs through the outskirts of town; thousands of green and white plastic bottles and Styrofoam containers stagnate in wastewater. For some, this is the only place to bathe.

At first glance, the word that comes to mind is desperation.

A soccer tournament provides a fun outlet for young adults in Cite Soleil.

Some organizations have chosen not to run programs here because of the slum’s reputation and crime rate. But this is where Samaritan’s Purse has come, knowing the dangers that exist but believing that this is exactly what Christ had in mind when he called believers to reach out to the “least of these.”

Samaritan’s Purse has been ministering to the residents of Cite Soleil since the days following the devastating earthquake of January 12th, 2010.

“When relief organizations were selecting zones to distribute food aid after the earthquake, I saw the area where we had visited a church just two days prior,” said Ken Isaacs, the Samaritan’s Purse Vice President of Programs. “The church was in disarray. The entire outside wall was down. Thousands of people were sleeping in the road and taking water from a broken pipe across the street. This was in the heart of Cite Soleil. I felt it was a divine appointment and said we wanted to take that area on. We worked hand-in-hand with the U.S. military’s 82nd Airborne, running complex distributions that eventually fed 5,000 households per day.”

Thus began our commitment to serving the people of Cite Soleil. The location for our food distributions is now the site for our 24-hour cholera treatment center, where we have treated and saved the lives of over 5,500 patients since the outbreak in late November. The church that was in disarray is now the location of our primary care day clinic, which treats over 100 adults and children a day.




Through a partnership with the U.S. government, the clinic doubles as a teaching facility, where we are training 70 Haitian doctors and nurses to become highly skilled in treating and preventing cholera. Physicians from the U.S. and Haiti conduct six weeks of hands-on training sessions on topics like managing IVs, setting up a cholera center, and caring for pediatric patients.




Touissant Mireille has been a nurse in Haiti for over 17 years. She has a genuine love for children, and her smile radiates through the pediatric ward. Her enthusiasm shows the impact that Samaritan’s Purse has had on her, personally and professionally.

“For two years I did not have a job,” she said. “Work was very hard to come by. I began working at this cholera clinic with Samaritan’s Purse in November. I am blessed, because I have been able to serve my people during one of the hardest times we have faced. I didn’t know anything about treating cholera, especially in children, and now, I have so much confidence. This facility, this training, is meeting real needs here.”




Dr. Taina, a Haitian physician, agrees.

“No one else is doing what Samaritan’s Purse is doing,” she said. “You are different. You are not just treating and leaving. You have kept your doors open in Cite Soleil when others have left. You are teaching us to further our skills and to help us become better and more employable in the future. It has been one of the biggest accomplishments of my life to learn how to treat cholera with your organization.”

Nurses have gathered in small groups behind her to practice IVs on each other. There is laughter and a spirit of joy as they teach and encourage one another. They are practicing tangible skills that will allow them to practice medicine more effectively.




When we see Cite Soleil, the word that comes to mind is no longer desperation, but hope. There is life here. There is potential. And there is goodness. Redemption has found a home in Cite Soleil as we help individuals realize their worth and the plan God has for them.

“No one gave us a chance until Samaritan’s Purse came along. You believed in us,” Touissant said with nods of appreciation.

Thank you for your prayers and support for our work here. It allows us to continue God’s redemptive work in some of the most dangerous, yet deserving, places on earth.

Samaritan's Purse , Haiti , Help for Haiti , Reaching Out to the Least