A new wave of gang violence in Port-au-Prince forced hundreds of people to flee their homes this weekend.
On Monday, displaced families were scattered across public squares and along the road leading to Toussaint Louverture International Airport, carrying with them the few belongings they had managed to salvage. Clashes erupted in several neighborhoods in the north of the Haitian capital, plunging the population into fear once again. Amid the incessant sound of gunfire, many residents fled their homes in haste, seeking refuge far from the fighting.
In a statement, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) indicated that its health facilities located in Cité Soleil and Croix-des-Bouquets had been "at the heart of the clashes" since Sunday.
In just 12 hours, our teams treated more than 40 people with gunshot wounds. One of our security guards was also hit by a stray bullet inside our hospital grounds,” said Davina Hayles, MSF’s head of mission in Haiti.
Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, gangs have progressively strengthened their grip on the country. They now control more than 90% of Port-au-Prince, according to authorities, and are extending their criminal activities—looting, kidnapping, sexual violence, and rape—to rural areas. Haiti remains without a president since Jovenel Moïse's death, amidst a climate of profound political and security instability.
In response to the worsening crisis, the United Nations Security Council approved the deployment of a 5,550-strong international force in late September to support the Haitian authorities. However, this mission is not yet fully operational, although a contingent of Chadian soldiers has already been deployed.
According to a recent report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), gang violence has displaced more than 1.4 million people across the country. Of these, approximately 200,000 now live in overcrowded and underfunded reception centers in the capital.
