Haiti: MSF resumes activities in Cité Soleil after three weeks of suspension

Intense clashes in Cité Soleil forced MSF to evacuate its hospital on 11 May, and to temporarily suspend its activities. Medical teams had treated more than 40 people with gunshot wounds in less than 12 hours, while a security guard was struck by a stray bullet within the hospital compound. More than 800 people fleeing violence had sought refuge at the hospital, causing panic as gunfire continued. ​

“All our services had to be suspended. The hospital was completely emptied, and several bullet holes are visible on the different buildings,” said Thomas Curbillon, MSF head of mission in Haiti. “At the outpatient department of the MSF hospital in Cité Soleil, we usually see an average of 150 patients per day, and the bed occupancy rate regularly exceeds 80 per cent. This gives an idea of the consequences for the population when our activities are suspended for several weeks.” ​

After a period of relative calm, MSF decided to reopen the emergency department of its hospital in Cité Soleil on 1 June, along with a medical unit to provide care for survivors of sexual violence. Following examination and stabilisation, patients are referred to other facilities. If security conditions are met, the outpatient clinic and inpatient services are expected to resume in the coming days. Teams are continuing to assess security risks before resuming other activities. ​

“This is the third time in three years that MSF has been forced to suspend operations at its hospital in Cité Soleil,” Thomas Curbillon said. “We call on all parties to the conflict to respect the safety of civilians and healthcare workers, so that we can do our work: saving lives.” ​

One patient came the day after the hospital resumed activities. “During the clashes in Cité Soleil, I fell while trying to escape. I came to MSF for treatment, but the hospital was closed. I could not receive treatment for all this time. I had to leave my neighbourhood to seek refuge elsewhere. Yesterday I finally returned home and came here today for a consultation; I was told my arm was broken,” the patient said.

Cité Soleil hosts a population of approximately 300,000 people who live with extremely limited access to essential services and healthcare. Medical needs remain immense. Persistent insecurity and a lack of healthcare facilities make the MSF hospital in Cité Soleil a vital source of care for a particularly vulnerable population. ​

Notes to Editors ​ ​

While the MSF hospital in Cité Soleil was closed, the teams adapted and distributed about 100 hygiene kits and essential supplies to people displaced by the armed clashes. Further distributions are planned in the coming days. ​

In Brooklyn, Cité Soleil, the Orezon clinic supported by MSF remained open. The team was reinforced with a doctor, a midwife, and a psychologist, and the number of consultations rose from between 60 and 80 to an average of more than 100 per day. ​

Over the past three weeks, MSF’s support for the Isaïe Jeanty maternity ward in Chancerelles has continued, despite the escalation of violence that has severely disrupted patient transfers and restricted access to care.

In this area of the Haitian capital, MSF provides free care at the Cité Soleil Hospital, the Orezon Health Center in Brooklyn, the Isaïe Jeanty Maternity Hospital in Chancerelles, as well as at the Tabarre Hospital and the Pran Men’m Delmas 33 Clinic in the north. ​