Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has once again suspended maternity services at the Isaïe Jeanty Hospital in Cité Soleil after renewed armed clashes between rival gangs engulfed the area. The latest violence trapped medical staff inside the facility, forced the evacuation of healthcare workers, and left thousands of pregnant women without access to essential maternal care. MSF warns that Haiti’s deepening security crisis continues to endanger patients, healthcare workers, and the country’s already fragile medical system.
By Le Floridien Staff
For the second time in less than two months, escalating gang violence in Haiti’s capital has forced the international humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières – MSF) to suspend maternity services at the Isaïe Jeanty maternity hospital in Chancerelles, Cité Soleil, leaving thousands of pregnant women without access to critical medical care.
The latest suspension comes after heavy clashes erupted Thursday, August 6, between rival armed groups surrounding the hospital, highlighting once again how Haiti’s worsening security crisis continues to cripple the country’s already fragile healthcare system.
Medical Teams Trapped as Gunfire Rages
According to MSF, intense fighting began around 2 p.m. on August 6, trapping both MSF personnel and staff from Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health inside the maternity hospital. Medical teams were forced to shelter in different parts of the building while gunfire echoed throughout the area.
Despite the dangerous conditions, a small group of healthcare workers chose to remain inside the hospital to provide emergency care to women in labor and patients requiring urgent treatment. Most of the staff, however, had to leave for their own safety as the violence intensified.
The remaining team worked throughout the night under constant gunfire before being evacuated the following day.
“This is the second suspension of our activities in less than two months,” said Diana Manilla Arroyo, MSF Head of Mission in Haiti. “We had only just resumed services after a three-week interruption. This new suspension deprives thousands of women of access to sexual and reproductive healthcare in an area where medical services are already almost nonexistent.”
Violence Continues to Overwhelm Haiti’s Healthcare System
The impact of the violence extended well beyond the maternity hospital. MSF reported that its hospitals in Cité Soleil and Tabarre received 27 patients suffering from gunshot wounds, forcing emergency teams to activate their mass casualty response plan.
Medical personnel continue treating victims while clashes persist in several neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince.
The latest closure underscores the enormous challenges facing humanitarian organizations operating in Haiti, where armed groups increasingly control large sections of the capital. Hospitals, schools, businesses, and humanitarian operations have repeatedly been forced to suspend services because of insecurity.
For expectant mothers in Cité Soleil—one of the country’s most vulnerable communities—the closure means many may have no safe place to give birth or receive prenatal and emergency obstetric care.
MSF has renewed its appeal to all armed groups and parties involved in the conflict to respect medical facilities, protect healthcare workers, and allow civilians safe access to life-saving medical services.
The repeated interruption of maternity care also serves as another reminder of the broader humanitarian crisis unfolding in Haiti, where insecurity is increasingly preventing even the most basic public services from reaching those who need them most.
