Haiti gang violence displaces hundreds, forces MSF hospital shutdown in Port‑au‑Prince

A fresh wave of gang fighting swept through Port‑au‑Prince over the weekend, pushing gangs to control more than 90 % of the capital since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. The clashes forced hundreds of residents onto the road leading to Toussaint Louverture International Airport, with many sleeping on the streets.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) evacuated its Cite Soleil hospital and suspended all services after intense gunfire hit the compound, treating over 40 gunshot victims in 12 hours and sheltering roughly 800 people. A security guard was struck by a stray bullet, prompting the temporary halt. No hospital remains open in the fighting zone, and nearby Fontaine Hospital evacuated newborns.

Local rum producer Barbancourt and major bottlers warned that deteriorating security and poor road conditions around the airport hamper police patrols, describing the government response as “largely insufficient.” A UN‑backed gang‑suppression force, comprising an unknown number of Chadian troops, has been deployed, but the planned 5,550‑person contingent has not yet fully arrived. An International Organization for Migration report earlier this year said gang violence has displaced more than 1.4 million Haitians, with about 200 000 now in overcrowded sites in the capital.

Residents such as 56‑year‑old Monique Verdieux said, “I am now sleeping in the street,” while MSF mission head Davina Hayles noted, “It is impossible to provide care in the midst of gunfire.”