Amid Haiti’s spiraling violence, Florida residents worry about family, friends in the island nation [Video]

MIAMI – Florida residents watching the unfolding unrest in Haiti are expressing concerns for family and friends on the Caribbean island nation, saying they are virtually being held prisoners in their own homes because of the ongoing violence.

Cosy Joseph, of Boynton Beach, runs the Gaskov Clerge Foundation, which has worked to provide healthcare, education and sports opportunities in Haiti and the U.S. for more than two decades.

“I’ve never seen Haiti like this,” Joseph said last week while watching events unfold from a distance. “I’ve never seen so much devastation … I’ve never felt so helpless and hopeless.”

Armed gangs went on a rampageabout a month ago in Haiti, launching attacks on prisons, …