MSF suspends operations at two major hospitals in Haiti
Key Points(5)
- Médecins Sans Frontières (<a href="https://www.msf.org/">MSF</a>) has announced the suspension of its activities at the Turgeau emergency center and the Carrefour trauma hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, for a minimum of three months due to the worsening security situation in the capital.
- The decision comes after a targeted attack on MSF’s convoy on March 15, 2025, which was traveling between the two medical centers.
- The convoy, clearly identified as MSF, was deliberately shot at while using the only access road linking the two sites.
- MSF vehicles were hit by at least 15 bullets, forcing the organization to halt its use of this route for transportation and medical deliveries.
- "The Turgeau emergency centre and the Carrefour trauma hospital are closely linked in their operations.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has announced the suspension of its activities at the Turgeau emergency center and the Carrefour trauma hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, for a minimum of three months due to the worsening security situation in the capital.
The decision comes after a targeted attack on MSF’s convoy on March 15, 2025, which was traveling between the two medical centers. The convoy, clearly identified as MSF, was deliberately shot at while using the only access road linking the two sites. MSF vehicles were hit by at least 15 bullets, forcing the organization to halt its use of this route for transportation and medical deliveries.
"The Turgeau emergency centre and the Carrefour trauma hospital are closely linked in their operations. Without the possibility of using this road to transfer patients, transport personnel or deliver medical supplies, these structures can no longer function,” said Benoît Vasseur, MSF's head of mission in Haiti. “This is why we have also been forced to withdraw from Carrefour as of 9 April 2025. This is an extremely painful decision, at a time when people’s vital medical needs continue to grow.”
MSF had already evacuated the Turgeau center on the same day of the attack as the fighting around the area escalated, with stray bullets landing within the compound daily. Between January and March 2025, the two facilities had treated more than 750 victims of violent trauma, alongside 3,600 emergency cases, serving as the only free medical option for local populations affected by violence, road accidents, and domestic incidents.
MSF continues work in other parts of Haiti
Despite the suspension at the Turgeau and Carrefour hospitals, MSF continues to provide medical services at other locations in Port-au-Prince and the southern region of Haiti. The Tabarre trauma reference center remains operational, offering care for victims of severe burns, accidents, and violence. In Cité Soleil, Hôpital Drouillard maintains a 24-hour emergency service, including treatment for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. MSF also continues to offer medical and psychological care for victims of sexual violence through the Pran Men'm clinic, which operates in Delmas and at the Isaïe Jeanty maternity hospital.
In the south, MSF is providing emergency obstetric and neonatal care, along with maternal health services in areas like Port-à-Piment. However, due to the ongoing security risks, medical transport has been suspended for all MSF teams within Port-au-Prince.
MSF’s work in Haiti spans over three decades, providing critical aid during major crises, including earthquakes, hurricanes, and cholera outbreaks. However, recent violence and repeated attacks against medical staff have made it increasingly difficult for the organization to operate safely. In November 2024, MSF had to briefly suspend all operations in Port-au-Prince due to threats and attacks against its staff.
“The extreme suffering of people in Haiti makes this decision all the more heartbreaking, but a dead or injured doctor or nurse can do nothing for patients in need,” Vasseur said. “We reiterate our appeal to all parties concerned to respect the medical mission and ensure the protection of health structures, ambulances, patients and staff.”
MSF is still awaiting the results of the investigations carried out by Haitian authorities regarding these incidents. The organization has once again called for the protection of medical personnel and facilities.
