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People in Haiti continue to bear the brunt of political instability and escalating violence, which have pushed the healthcare system to the brink of collapse.

In Haiti, we provide care to victims of trauma, survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as sexual and reproductive care. With natural disasters regularly occurring in the country, emergency response also remains a central aspect of our work in the country.

Since the assassination of the Haitian President in 2021, the people of the capital Port-au-Prince have been struggling to survive as armed gangs, police, and civilian self-defence brigades fight in the streets of the city. The already volatile situation has been deteriorating even further after an announcement on 28 February 2024 that elections would be postponed until as late as August 2025. More than 15,000 people were displaced in Port-au-Prince within just one week in early March.

We are scaling up our medical activities to care for the mounting number of people injured in the escalating violence and political unrest that has engulfed the city.

Our teams currently run two trauma hospitals  in Tabarre and Carrefour, two emergency centres in Drouillard and Turgeau, and one centre for survivors of sexual violence in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. Mobile clinics have been temporarily suspended due to  the volatile situation.

The situation in Haiti is the climax of an escalation of violence that has been ongoing for years. An MSF survey showed that between 2022 and 2023, the mortality rate in Cité Soleil was exceptionally high. One in eight people were exposed to episodes of extreme violence such as murder, rape or lynching in the street.

The deteriorating humanitarian situation in Haiti has not been met with an adequate humanitarian response, especially for health, water and sanitation. The healthcare system is on the verge of collapse, with public hospitals no longer able to provide free care. Displaced people are living in unsafe and unsanitary conditions and require humanitarian support.

Port-au-Prince is being devastated by a wave of violence and insecurity that is causing a great number of injuries and large-scale displacement, while making it nearly impossible for patients to access medical care and for medical facilities to continue functioning.

Tabarre hospital increased its capacity by 50 per cent and another hospital has opened in Carrefour, while our Emergency Centre in Turgeau re-opened earlier than planned due to the recent escalation of violence.

Our response relies on our ability to ensure sufficient supplies for our hospitals; this ability is currently threatened by the blockage of our incoming medical supplies at the city port, due to the length of the custom clearance procedures and the disruption caused by the fighting. We are now urging the authorities to expedite said clearance and are trying to make sure these supplies are shipped to our medical facilities with the utmost urgency. It is essential that our teams are able to bring in supplies to continue responding to the growing health and humanitarian needs in Haiti.  

The airport also remains closed, making it impossible for supplies or staff to arrive by air. We are exploring all options to move additional medical supplies and specialised staff into Haiti, to maintain and even further increase our activities.

 

What we do in Haiti

Our activities in 2022 in Haiti

Data and information from the International Activity Report 2022.

MSF in Haiti in 2022 In 2022, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) endeavoured to fill the massive gaps in healthcare in Haiti, a country wracked by escalating violence and a deadly resurgence of cholera.
Haiti IAR map 2022

The already volatile situation deteriorated significantly in Haiti in 2022, as rival gangs waged a brutal war on the streets, paralysing and isolating the capital, Port-au-Prince, for extended periods of time. These unprecedented levels of violence led to a steep increase in the number of patients admitted to our hospitals during the year.

July was the worst month, with over 300 people killed and numerous cases of rape reported. Many houses were burnt down, and more than 20,000 people were displaced across the city. In these very challenging conditions, our teams worked to maintain and expand activities in our three trauma and emergency hospitals in Port-au-Prince. We treated victims of gunshot and stab wounds and victims of sexual violence, as well as people with severe burns and injuries related to road accidents.

Our hospital in Cité Soleil had to suspend activities in April after a patient was killed just outside the building. However, in July, we reopened the facility to respond to the large influx of wounded patients.

Following the announcement of an increase in fuel prices in September, violent protests broke out across the country. Barricades were erected, cutting off many of the main roads, and economic activity ground to a halt. The situation was compounded when one of the major gangs blocked access to the country’s main oil terminal for more than a month, exacerbating fuel shortages and forcing healthcare facilities to close or reduce services, as they depend on generators to produce electricity.

Unrest also temporarily disrupted the water distribution network, reducing supply and creating ideal conditions for the resurgence of cholera. As the outbreak spread, the health situation soon became dire, as even basic services had become practically inaccessible due to the ongoing violence and the fuel crisis, which has continued long after access to the oil terminal was restored.  

To alleviate these problems, our teams continue to deliver a range of medical services in the capital and other parts of the country, despite huge challenges in obtaining fuel and medical supplies and in referring patients between different facilities. As well as running and supporting hospitals and health centres, we operate mobile clinics in the most affected neighbourhoods of Port-au-Prince, such as Brooklyn, Bel’Air, Bas Delmas and Delmas 4. We are able to work in these hard-to-reach areas because MSF’s work is perceived positively and is respected by the communities.

Sexual and gender-based violence
Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a widespread issue in Haiti. The deepening socio-economic crisis and high levels of gang-related warfare have had a considerable impact on the psyche of entire communities, who have become isolated and more exposed to the risk of sexual aggression. MSF runs two clinics, in Port-au-Prince and further north in Gonaïves, and supports three hospitals to provide victims of SGBV with specialist medical, psychological and social care. A free telephone helpline has decreased barriers to care, offering victims remote psychological support and referrals to health centres. Our mobile clinics working in unsafe, hard-to-reach neighbourhoods include SGBV care in their services.

Maternal health
The provision and accessibility of maternal healthcare is extremely limited in Haiti, contributing to one of the highest maternal death rates in the world. Our activities in the south of the country aim to respond to the pressing needs in this area. In 2022, we expanded our sexual and reproductive health activities at our clinic in Port-à-Piment, in Haiti’s southwest, starting to offer surgery for complicated obstetric cases, as well as ante- and neonatal care.

Emergency response to a cholera outbreak
Overcrowded, unsanitary living conditions and poor access to clean water were factors in a major resurgence of cholera, a disease that has killed around 10,000 people since 2010, when the country was hit by an epidemic in the wake of a major earthquake.

Following the arrival of the first suspected cases at MSF facilities in late September, we had admitted approximately 13,000 patients to our six cholera treatment centres (CTCs) in and around Port-au-Prince by the end of the year. In addition, we treated around 2,500 patients in the four CTCs we opened in the department of Artibonite, north of the capital.

Our teams responded to the outbreak across the country, supporting local communities by chlorinating water points and raising awareness on hygiene measures in some of the worst-affected neighbourhoods. In December, we provided logistical support to the cholera vaccination campaign carried out by the Ministry of Health, to ensure that the highest number of people possible were immunised against the disease.

 

in 2022
 
Haiti

MSF teams in Haiti distribute tents after storm destroys shelters in camp

Project Update 15 Jul 2010
 
Haiti

Working to prevent the spread of a cholera epidemic in Haiti

Project Update 11 Jul 2010
 
Natural disasters

Emergency response after the Haiti earthquake: Choices, obstacles and finance

Report 8 Jul 2010
 
Haiti

Time passes, medical needs persist and just a few months to hurricane season

Project Update 20 May 2010
 
Haiti

Donor conference: Haiti must be given capacity to ensure access to medical care for its population

Press Release 30 Mar 2010
 
Haiti

Medical needs in Haiti remain high as MSF moves into next crucial phase

Project Update 26 Mar 2010
 
Haiti

Haiti earthquake - two months update

Crisis Update 15 Mar 2010
 
Haiti

Three months after the earthquake that has impacted on the lives of millions in Haiti

Project Update 12 Mar 2010
 
Haiti

Haitians facing intolerable breach of human dignity

Project Update 7 Mar 2010

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