A heavily armed group on Wednesday encircled a hospital in Haiti, leaving women, children, and newborns trapped inside until law enforcement came to their rescue.
Founder and director of the Fontaine Hospital Center, located in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, Jose Ulysse, recounted the harrowing events to The Associated Press (AP).
Ulysse shared that gang members had encircled the hospital, setting nearby homes ablaze and effectively blocking all avenues of escape for those inside.
He further earlier said it appeared gangs had entered the hospital.
Rescue operation
Reports are that Haiti’s National Police responded to Ulysse’s call for help and arrived with three armored trucks to evacuate 40 children and 70 patients to a private home in a safer part of the city.
Among those being transported were children reliant on oxygen support.
Gang violence in Haiti
The hospital has long been regarded as an oasis in a community besieged by rampant gang violence.
The gangs operating in the area have escalated their clashes, subjecting the local population of Cite Soleil to increasingly brutal attacks. Civilians in this embattled neighborhood routinely face the grim specter of rape, violence, and death as they navigate the difficult landscape created by these warring factions.
