Gang violence in Haiti forces hundreds to flee, halts medical services
Al Jazeera English
A new surge of gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, has displaced hundreds and forced Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to stop operations at local hospitals. About 800 residents sought refuge inside an MSF facility before services were suspended due to safety risks. The ongoing clashes among powerful gangs, which have controlled much of the capital since 2021, continue to overwhelm efforts to restore security.
A fresh wave of gang violence in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, has forced hundreds of residents to evacuate and prompted the relief organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to suspend operations at local hospitals.
MSF said Monday that about 800 residents had sought shelter from the fighting inside its hospital in the Cite Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince before activities were halted. The organization stressed: 'Currently, not a single hospital is open in the area where fighting is occurring.' The demand for medical services remains high, but MSF cannot guarantee the safety of its staff or patients due to constant gunfire echoing through the area. A security guard was hit by a stray bullet inside the hospital compound.
Clashes among powerful gangs, which have effectively seized control of much of Haiti's capital since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, have led to widespread violence and placed immense pressure on residents. Government efforts to quell the conflict and curb the influence of criminal groups have largely proven ineffective.
Another hospital in the area, Fontaine Hospital, had to evacuate infants from its intensive care unit. MSF said it treated several patients transferred from that facility, including pregnant women who gave birth overnight.
A foreign force arrived in April as part of a United Nations-backed effort, but previous interventions have had little impact on the security situation.
'I am sleeping on the street,' Monique Verdieux, 56, told the Associated Press, saying she was too afraid to return home after witnessing gunmen torching buildings in her neighborhood. Other Haitians affected by the weekend fighting have taken temporary shelter on the road leading to Toussaint Louverture International Airport.
