- MSF suspends operations in Port-au-Prince following violent attack
- The decision comes after two patients were executed outside the hospital grounds
- MSF personnel were tear-gassed and detained during the ordeal
- Unrest in Haiti continues and politically, the situation also remains fraught
MSF suspends operations in Port-au-Prince following violent attack
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has halted its medical operations in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, citing escalating violence and a brutal attack on its staff. The decision follows an incident on November 11, when Haitian police, reportedly backed by a paramilitary group, stopped an MSF ambulance, removed two gunshot patients, and executed them outside the hospital grounds.
MSF condemned the attack, stating their personnel were also tear-gassed and detained during the ordeal. The suspension highlights growing risks for humanitarian workers amid Haiti’s deepening security and political crises. Recent weeks have seen multiple attacks targeting MSF staff and facilities, leaving the organisation unable to continue its work in the capital safely.
The violence is part of a broader surge in unrest in Haiti, with 25 suspected gang members killed in a foiled invasion of Pétion-Ville, an affluent suburb. Residents, some armed with makeshift weapons, barricaded streets to support police in repelling the attack.
The turmoil coincides with political instability, including the dismissal of interim Prime Minister Garry Conille earlier this month, just six months after he took office.