Port-au-Prince is sinking into a deepening crisis due to violent clashes between armed groups and law enforcement. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) (Doctors Without Borders) reports an increase in the number of victims arriving at its facilities and an alarming decline in healthcare provision in the capital.

60 to 80% of Port-au-Prince's health facilities are closed or out of service due to widespread insecurity and violence in the city. At the same time, nearly two out of five Haitians require urgent medical care.

Between January and June 2025, MSF teams treated 2,600 victims of sexual violence, admitted 13,300 patients to the emergency room, and treated nearly 2,300 victims of violence. This violence increasingly affects children. 26% of victims of violence are minors, the majority under the age of 15, compared to 11% in 2024. Among these minor victims, a third were girls, and 30% suffered gunshot wounds.

"These figures reflect the alarming developments in the situation in Haiti, where civilians, including women and children, are exposed to danger every day," said Mumuza Muhindo Musubaho, MSF Head of Mission in Haiti.

"[...] Around 18% of patients followed by MSF teams in neighborhoods under the control of armed groups report not using public transportation to reach healthcare facilities located outside these areas for fear of being targeted. Furthermore, many hospitals have closed due to armed attacks, looting, the exodus of medical staff, or difficulties in obtaining medicines.

[...] This situation is putting extreme pressure on facilities that are still operational. This is the case for the MSF trauma hospital in Tabarre, which has increased its capacity by 50%, and 26% of cases treated in the trauma emergency department are due to violence. The University Hospital of Peace remains the only major public facility still operating in the capital, and is also regularly overcrowded.

This situation fuels a deep sense of abandonment among Haitians. And, it must be said, the terrible decline in healthcare provision also gives rise, among the few humanitarian and medical workers present, to the impression of being overwhelmed by ever-increasing needs." concludes Mumuza Muhindo Musubaho.

HL/ HaitiLibre