Haiti Crisis: Fresh Gunfire Disrupts Healthcare, Troubles Thousands

A fresh gunfire broke out Tuesday in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, causing healthcare workers to stop providing urgent medical care for thousands of Haitians.

Due to weeks of ongoing gang violence, there are about 18 hospitals that have stopped their operations, which led to a shortage of medical supplies as Haiti's largest seaport and main international airport were closed.

This closure served as a warning to aid workers associated with The Alliance for International Medical Action, a humanitarian organization based in Senegal.

The organization's medical coordinator based in Port-au-Prince Antoine Maillard said, "The situation is really challenging and affects our movement on a daily basis," AP News reported.

The gang violence has forced approximately 17,000 people in the capital to leave their homes. Many of them are crowded into deserted schools and other buildings, where they often have to share just one toilet.

Maillard noted the healthcare workers reached one of the campsites for displaced people Tuesday. However, they couldn't help much as there were "too many gunshots to provide support."

He mentioned that the health situation was getting worse, adding that it was difficult to even find essential medicines like antibiotics and antidiarrheals because gang violence has shut down suppliers.

Meanwhile, the little medication that is available has become twice or even three times as expensive. This situation leaves Haitians like 65-year-old Denise Duval unable to afford the medication they need or visit a doctor.

"My health right now is not good," Duval said, pointing out that she is suffering from high blood pressure and often feels dizzy. "From hearing gunfire all the time, my heart beats a lot."

Duval is looking after three grandchildren whose mother moved to the neighboring Dominican Republic to find work. While the mother sends money when possible, Duval explained that it's insufficient to cover both medication costs and the children's needs.

"We're living day-by-day and hoping that something will change," she said.

According to U.N. rights expert William O'Neill, Haiti needs 4,000 to 5,000 international police officers to address the "catastrophic" gang violence, which is targeting important figures as well as vital institutions like hospitals, schools and banks.

Haiti asked for international help to fight against the gangs in October 2022 and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for the same last July.