Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says it has evacuated and suspended operations at its hospital in the Cité Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince after intense fighting between rival armed groups left the facility caught in the middle of ongoing gun battles.
The humanitarian organization said heavy clashes erupted on the morning of Sunday, May 10, in the neighborhoods of Cité Soleil and Croix des Bouquets and continued for more than 24 hours, forcing medical teams to work under dangerous conditions while treating a surge of wounded patients.
“In just 12 hours, our teams treated more than 40 people with gunshot wounds,” said Davina Hayles, MSF head of mission in Haiti.
Hayles said one of the organization’s security guards was struck by a stray bullet inside the hospital compound during the violence.
“We managed to evacuate him, and he is now in stable condition, but it is unthinkable that our teams and civilians should become victims of these clashes,” she said.
As the violence intensified, more than 800 people sought refuge at the MSF hospital, including residents of Cité Soleil, staff members, and their families who had nowhere else to shelter from the gunfire.
“In addition, several hundred inhabitants of Cité Soleil, as well as our colleagues and their families, have sought refuge in our hospital, having no other option to shelter from the gunfire,” Hayles added.
MSF teams also treated patients transferred from Fontaine Hospital, including pregnant women who gave birth overnight between Sunday and Monday.
According to the organization, no hospitals are currently operating in the area where the fighting is taking place.
Faced with what it described as an unprecedented level of violence, MSF said it was forced to evacuate the facility and temporarily suspend all medical activities in Cité Soleil until further notice.
“Our goal is to protect our patients and our staff,” Hayles said. “It is impossible for us to provide care in the midst of gunfire. A hospital where staff are not safe cannot function.”
While describing the suspension as temporary, MSF warned that medical needs in Cité Soleil and across Port-au-Prince remain severe and continue to grow amid worsening insecurity.
The organization called on all parties involved in the conflict to ensure the safety of healthcare workers and civilians.
MSF has operated in Haiti for 35 years and remains one of the country’s major humanitarian medical providers. Last year, its teams conducted 129,458 medical consultations, including nearly 13,000 involving children under five. The organization also assisted with 2,812 deliveries, carried out 8,469 surgical procedures, treated 3,419 people for violence-related injuries, and provided care for 4,975 victims and survivors of sexual violence.
MSF additionally reported conducting 19,819 physical therapy sessions in Haiti last year.
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