Residents of Cite Soleil in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince took to the streets on October 8, demanding government protection after a fresh wave of gang violence forced hundreds to flee their homes over the previous weekend.
Protesters said they had witnessed multiple killings in Cite Soleil in recent days. Haitian authorities have not provided any information on casualties.
Armed gangs have tightened their grip on the capital since President Jovenel Moise was assassinated at his home in July 2021. Police say these groups now control about 70% of the capital and have expanded their operations, including looting, kidnappings and sexual violence, into rural areas. Haiti has been without a president since Moise's murder.
Medical services have also been severely affected. In a statement on October 7, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) said it evacuated its hospital in Cite Soleil following intense clashes on October 6. The Centre Hospitalier de Fontaine, another medical facility serving the area, said on October 8 it had suspended operations due to the violence and evacuated all patients, including 11 newborns.
The unrest comes as a U.N.-backed international security mission begins deployment. The first foreign troops linked to the U.N.-authorized force arrived in April to help quell the violence.
In late September, the U.N. Security Council approved plans for a 5,550-strong mission, though the full contingent has yet to arrive. An unspecified number of troops from Chad have been deployed so far.
The gang warfare has displaced a large number of Haitians. A report published by the International Organization for Migration earlier this year estimated that more than 1.4 million people have been displaced, with around 200,000 now living in cramped, underfunded temporary shelters in the capital.
