Haiti Gang Violence Displaces Hundreds, Suspends Medical Services Temporarily

Haiti’s Cite Soleil Neighborhood Experiences Increased Violence, Displacing Hundreds

A recent surge in gang violence in Port-au-Prince has led to a significant displacement of residents, with hundreds seeking shelter within the hospital operated by international aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). According to MSF, approximately 800 individuals have taken refuge inside its Cite Soleil hospital before operations were suspended.

The organization stated that no hospitals are currently operational in the area where fighting is taking place. Despite the need for medical services remaining substantial, MSF could not guarantee the safety of staff or patients due to ongoing gunfire in the vicinity. A security guard was struck by a stray bullet within the compound.

The violence has been attributed to powerful gangs seizing control over large parts of the Haitian capital since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021. Authorities have struggled to quell the fighting and curb the influence of criminal groups, with past interventions having little impact on the insecurity.

Another hospital in the area, Hopital Fontaine, reported evacuating newborns from its intensive care unit. MSF treated some patients transferred from the hospital, including pregnant women who gave birth overnight. A contingent of foreign troops arrived in Haiti in April as part of a United Nations-linked effort to address the situation.

Source: Al Jazeera