Port-au-Prince (EFE).- The organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned this Friday that its activities are in “serious difficulties.” This after a series of security incidents in Port-au-Prince that endangered its ability to provide assistance in Haiti.
They warn about “the recent incidents that have affected the equipment and activities of Doctors without borders in Port-au-Prince» They say that «the serious threats circulating against her on social networks are having a serious impact on the safety of her medical staff». Also “of the patients treated at her facilities,” the organization warned in a statement.
On Thursday night, hooded gunmen tried to break into the Doctors Without Borders hospital in the capital’s Tabarre area.
“Unidentified individuals pointed their weapons at the staff.” “They also hit the door with their rifle butts before trying to scale the wall to enter the hospital,” Mahaman Bachard Iro said. He is the coordinator of the NGO’s mission in Haiti.
The work of Doctors Without Borders
MSF is one of the few international organizations that continue to provide assistance in the Haitian capital.
Another incident occurred on 7 February when an ambulance clearly identified as Doctors Without Borders was stopped and searched. Guns were pointed at the passengers in the vehicle to verify their identities, before they were allowed to proceed.
In addition, since the beginning of the year there have been two violent clashes between armed groups a few meters from the Doctors Without Borders hospital. This in the crowded and depressed area of Cité Soleil. The incidents caused the temporary closure of the consultations and the evacuation of part of the staff.
They warn of these repeated and worrying clashes and with the front line between armed groups getting closer to the hospital. This makes MSF fear that it is no longer safe to continue providing medical care to the population.
“It is increasingly difficult to work in these conditions. The repetition of these incidents is putting the safety of our medical staff and patients at risk,” reiterated Mahaman Bachard Iro.
“These frequent obstacles to our teams that travel through Port-au-Prince to transfer patients from one hospital to another. Also the violent intrusions into our medical facilities and the crossfire at the gates of our health centers seriously threaten the continuity of our activities,” he said.
closed hospitals
In Port-au-Prince, the organization temporarily closed the Drouillard hospital in April 2022. It permanently closed its Martissant emergency center in June 2021. It also suspended its support for the Raoul Pierre Louis de Carrefour hospital in January 2023 for security reasons.
The teams of Doctors Without Borders have been working in Haiti for more than 30 years to serve the most disadvantaged communities. The NGO urges all parties involved to respect its medical mission, patients, medical personnel, hospitals and ambulances.
“In this difficult context, the entire Haitian health system is on the verge of collapse, as many health structures cannot function properly,” MSF said. The NGO reiterated its commitment to the Haitian population, a daily victim of the violence that has torn the country apart for years. EFE
