MSF evacuates hospital amid escalating gang clashes in Haiti

Renewed gang violence in Haiti’s capital has forced hundreds of residents to flee the Cite Soleil district after intense clashes erupted over the weekend.

Armed groups, reportedly linked to the ‘Chen Mechan’ gang, set homes ablaze and opened heavy fire across parts of Port-au-Prince, leaving families displaced and seeking shelter on the streets. The worsening security situation also led Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to evacuate its hospital in the area.

In a video shared by Viory, large plumes of smoke rising above the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac neighbourhood while armed vehicles moved through nearby streets. Dozens of displaced residents were seen gathered along roadsides after escaping the violence.

“Imagine babies, pregnant women; we are on the street, and we do not have time to take anything, we are fleeing, we are in misery. What we are asking is for the State to tell us something. For the State to clarify things with us. To tell us what it plans to do with us,” one resident said after fleeing the area.

Another displaced local criticised the authorities for what they described as a lack of response.

“Look at the people! What has the State said? What has it done? We are speaking to the State, [...] why did they force them into the streets? On top of that, they kill, burn, crush the people, and ask them for peace. Where will that peace come from?” the resident asked.

Haiti has faced growing instability since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021. Reports indicate that armed gangs now control more than 90 per cent of Port-au-Prince as violence continues to spread across the capital.

“Things are going badly for me, I am suffering. Life is hard, the State mistreats us too much. We have been suffering for a long time, but the State never says anything. It is time for the State to tell us something,” another resident said.

MSF confirmed on Monday that it had carried out an emergency evacuation of its Cite Soleil hospital as fighting intensified in the city.

The medical charity said its teams had treated more than 40 people with gunshot wounds and provided temporary shelter for around 800 people displaced by the latest outbreak of violence involving the ‘Chen Mechan’ gang.

Efforts to restore order in Haiti remain ongoing. In September, the United Nations Security Council approved the deployment of a 5,550-member multinational force to support security operations in the country. Some personnel from Chad have already arrived.

According to the International Organisation for Migration, gang-related violence has displaced more than 1.4 million people across Haiti, with many living in severe conditions as authorities struggle to regain control of affected areas.