As Haiti’s capital descends further into chaos marked by violent clashes between armed groups and police forces, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says the number of civilian casualties arriving at its facilities is surging.
Nearly two in five Haitians are in urgent need of medical care due to widespread insecurity and violence, yet 60 to 80 percent of Port-au-Prince’s health facilities remain closed or non-functional for the same reasons.
Between January and June 2025, MSF teams assisted 2,600 victims and survivors of sexual violence, admitted 13,300 patients to emergency rooms, and treated 2,267 victims of violence. Among these, 26 percent were minors—more than double the rate recorded in 2024. Most were under 15 years old, and one-third were girls. Thirty percent of all minors treated for violence-related injuries suffered gunshot wounds.
“These figures reflect the alarming deterioration of the situation in Haiti, where civilians, including women and children, are increasingly exposed to danger every day,” said Mumuza Muhindo Musubaho, MSF’s head of mission in Haiti. “Civilians must be spared by the parties to this conflict.”
The worsening violence was underscored on September 20, when MSF treated 17 wounded people following a drone attack in the Cité Soleil neighborhood. Among the casualties were two men who were dead on arrival and another who died during transfer. Ten women were also wounded—one of whom died en route to MSF’s trauma hospital in Tabarre—and three children who did not survive their injuries. Two additional women later died at the Isaïe Jeanty maternity hospital, where MSF is also active.
The violence stems from an ongoing territorial conflict, with entire communities trapped between explosive drone attacks and the brutal tactics of armed groups, who loot, burn homes, destroy neighborhoods, and increasingly use sexual violence as a weapon of control, punishment, and extortion.
MSF reports that about 18 percent of patients in its general healthcare programs in areas controlled by armed groups say they avoid using public transportation to seek care outside those neighborhoods for fear of being targeted.
The combination of restricted movement, armed attacks, looting, and a shortage of medical staff and supplies has crippled the healthcare system. Since 2024, hospital closures have left most residents without access to vital services. MSF’s trauma hospital in Tabarre has increased its bed capacity by 50 percent to meet rising demand, with 26 percent of its trauma cases linked to violence. Only one major public hospital—Hôpital universitaire de la Paix—remains operational in the capital, but it is often overwhelmed.
“This devastating context fuels a profound sense of abandonment among Haitians,” said Musubaho. “And, it must be said, the severe decline in healthcare availability – a crisis within the crisis – also leaves the few remaining humanitarian and medical actors with the impression of being overwhelmed by ever-growing needs.”
MSF reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Haitian people and said it continues to work closely with the Ministry of Public Health and Population. The organization reiterated its call for the protection of civilians, healthcare workers, and medical facilities amid the ongoing violence.
