Haiti

The Viv Ansanm (“living together”) alliance, composed of armed groups that had previously fought each other, has gained control of approximately 85 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince. In these neighborhoods, thousands of residents are completely cut off from basic services such as electricity, water, education, transport, and health care, and face the constant danger of being caught in the crossfire with no means of escape.

There was a marked escalation in violence in 2025 as private military contractors were deployed in Port-au-Prince, with weapons including explosive drones. After a drone attack in the Cité Soleil neighborhood on September 20, a large number of wounded patients arrived at the MSF-supported Cité Soleil and Isaïe Jeanty Maternity hospitals, the majority children and women. The UN Security Council has decided to progressively send a 5,550-person “Gang Suppression Force” to Haiti, replacing the previous Kenyan-led Multinational Support Mission.

Operational challenges amid conflict

MSF has continued to work under volatile conditions in Haiti, despite repeated security threats and incidents that have disrupted our operations. On March 15, 2025, we were forced to suspend activities at Carrefour and Turgeau medical centers due to an upsurge in fighting in their immediate vicinity. While our teams were evacuating Turgeau in an MSF convoy, our four clearly identified vehicles were shot at — at least 15 times — by a man wearing a police uniform. Our colleagues sustained minor injuries. 

Following the incident, we decided to suspend all patient referrals conducted via MSF ambulances. Later in the year, due to the lack of sustainable solutions to properly secure our Turgeau medical center, MSF had to make the devastating decision to permanently close the facility, reducing health care options even further for communities.

Comprehensive care for sexual and gender-based violence

The escalation in conflict in Port-au-Prince has led to a steep increase in cases of sexual and gender-based violence, with growing brutality. Since 2021, MSF’s Pran Men’m Clinic, where we provide comprehensive medical and psychological support for victims and survivors of sexual violence, has seen a threefold rise in the number of patients. An increasing number of them have reported being assaulted several times in their lives, and by multiple aggressors, and that it is becoming more difficult to obtain proper care in a timely manner.

We also provide services for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence at Drouillard Hospital in Carrefour, Port-à-Piment Maternity Hospital, and Isaïe Jeanty Maternity Hospital.

Sexual and reproductive health services

The maternal death rate in Haiti remains alarmingly high. South department has one of the highest rates, with 344 deaths per 100,000 births. This is due to several factors, such as the lack of functional health care facilities, insecurity, and high transport costs, which prevent many women from seeking care.

In response, MSF works in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health and Population to offer emergency obstetric and neonatal services in Port-à-Piment. Our teams assist with deliveries, including those requiring specialist care.

To improve maternal health care in Port-au-Prince, MSF contributed to the reopening of Isaïe Jeanty Maternity Hospital, which had closed during a wave of violence in 2024. Since March 2025, we have been working with the Ministry of Public Health and Population and other partners to provide assistance with deliveries, outpatient consultations, and contraceptives. We also carried out important rehabilitation work on the building to increase bed capacity in the maternity ward.