MSF Suspends Maternity Services Again in Port-au-Prince Due to Armed Violence

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has suspended medical services at the Isaïe Jeanty maternity hospital in the Cité Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince for the second time in less than two months. The decision comes amid ongoing clashes between armed groups surrounding the facility.

The latest suspension leaves thousands of women in a highly vulnerable area of the Haitian capital without access to critical sexual and reproductive health services. MSF noted that access to healthcare is already severely limited in this region.

In the 24 hours preceding the suspension, MSF facilities in Cité Soleil and Tabarre treated 27 individuals for gunshot wounds, prompting medical teams to activate mass casualty response plans. The renewed violence began on Thursday, August 6, near the maternity hospital, forcing MSF and Ministry of Health staff to shelter inside.

"This new suspension deprives thousands of women of access to sexual and reproductive health care in a part of Haiti's capital where access to medical care is already practically nonexistent," said Diana Manilla Arroyo, MSF general coordinator in Haiti. Staff reportedly continued their duties under fire throughout the night before the maternity team was evacuated on Friday due to deteriorating security conditions.

MSF has issued an urgent appeal to all parties involved in the fighting to respect healthcare centers and guarantee safe access to medical care for the population. Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has been grappling with a severe crisis for years, marked by extremely high levels of insecurity. Official figures indicate that between March 1, 2025, and January 15 of this year, violence resulted in 5,519 deaths and 2,608 injuries.

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This new suspension deprives thousands of women of access to sexual and reproductive health care in a part of Haiti's capital where access to medical care is already practically nonexistent.