ROMA – Repeated threats and violence by the police force towards staff and patients forced Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to temporarily suspend activities in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In recent days, police officers have stopped MSF vehicles several times and threatened staff members. After an MSF ambulance was attacked on 11 November, at least two patients on board were executed. and the team suffered physical damage.
Hospitalized patients will still be cared for. These repeated incidents, which demonstrate that staff and patients are targets of attacks, have forced MSF to stop taking in new patients and transferring them by ambulance to the five medical facilities that the organization manages in Port-au-Prince . MSF will continue to assist patients already admitted to its medical facilities and run mobile clinic activities, as well as maternal health activities in the south of the country, in Port-a-Piment.
When even the police become a threat. “As MSF we accept working in conditions of insecurity, but when even the police become a direct threat, we have no choice but to suspend the admission of new patients in our facilities in Port-au-Prince until there will be the conditions to be able to resume” declares Christophe Garnier, MSF head of mission in Haiti. “Every day that passes without activity is a tragedy, because we are among the few who have provided numerous medical services during this extremely difficult year. However, we can no longer continue to operate in a context where our staff are at risk of being attacked, raped or even killed.”
The accidents that occurred. In just one week, after the November 11 incident, MSF suffered another 4 incidents:
– On 12 November, 2 MSF ambulances were stopped by MSF officers Research and Intervention Brigade (BRI) of the Haitian National Police, who threatened to kill MSF staff in the near future.
– On 16 November, in Delmas 33, an MSF driver was verbally assaulted by plainclothes police officers who threatened future attacks on ambulances.
– On November 17, just before midnight, another MSF ambulance carrying a patient was stopped near boulevard Toussaint Louverture by a police team who threatened to kill the patient on board. After intense negotiations, the ambulance was allowed to continue its journey to the MSF hospital in Tabarre.
– On November 18, in Carrefour Rita, a Haitian National Police vehicle driven by an undercover policeman armed with a gun stopped an MSF vehicle that was accompanying staff to their workplace. MSF staff members on board were threatened and told that next week the police force would start killing and setting fire to staff, patients and ambulances.
Attacks also on ambulances. Furthermore, there have also been several attacks on ambulances and MSF staff by armed vigilantes, including on 11 November. MSF provides assistance to everyone based on medical need. In the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, MSF provides care to more than 1,100 patients on average every week with outpatient visits, it manages 54 pediatric emergency cases and more than 80 new survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
MSF for 30 years in Haiti. “We have been present in Haiti for more than 30 years and it is not easy to make this decision because health services have never been so few for the population. Many people will lose access to MSF services because we cannot work safely in Port-au-Prince. Our commitment to the people of Haiti continues, but at this time we cannot welcome new patients to our facilities in Port-au-Prince unless we are guaranteed safety and compliance with our medical and humanitarian mandate without obstacles from the armed groups and law enforcement agencies” concludes Garnier of MSF.
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In what ways does the security situation in Haiti impact the broader humanitarian landscape, and how do these challenges affect the delivery of essential services beyond healthcare?
Nded questions to prompt a deeper understanding and exploration of the issues raised in the interview. Make sure to research the topics and contexts covered in the article to ask appropriate and relevant questions.
1. Could you provide more information on the recent incidents that have forced Doctors Without Borders to suspend their activities in Haiti? How often and severe have these incidents been?
2. What types of services were MSF providing in Port-au-Prince before the suspension? And how many patients did they typically attend to on a weekly basis?
3. Who is primarily responsible for these attacks on MSF staff and patients – police officers or other armed groups? Are there any specific reasons behind these attacks?
4. How have these attacks affected MSF’s ability to provide medical care to the people of Haiti, especially in light of the limited healthcare resources already available in the country?
5. What steps has MSF taken to address these concerns with the Haitian authorities? Have they received any responses or assurances regarding their safety and the continuation of their activities in Haiti?
6. Can you speak about the dynamics between MSF and the Haitian government, as well as their relationship with other aid organizations operating in the country?
7. What are some of the challenges that humanitarian organizations face when operating in conflict-ridden or politically unstable environments like Haiti?
8. As a humanitarian organization, what measures does MSF take to ensure the safety of their staff and patients when working in these types of conditions? Are there any systems or procedures in place to prevent these kinds of attacks from happening?
9. How does MSF plan to support the Haitian healthcare system in the long run, especially given the current security concerns? Are there any plans to increase their presence or scale up operations in other parts of the country?
10. what message does MSF want to convey to the people of Haiti and the international community regarding their decision to suspend activities and the impact it will have on the healthcare sector?
