Doctors Without Borders reports surge in civilian victims in Haiti

Haiti.- Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned of a worsening health crisis in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where civilian casualties are rising and the medical system is near collapse. The NGO estimates that nearly 40% of Haitians need urgent care, while up to 80% of health centers have been destroyed, looted, or abandoned due to violence. Currently, only La Paz University Hospital remains fully operational, but it is often overwhelmed.

Between January and June 2025, MSF treated 2,600 survivors of sexual violence, 13,300 emergency patients, and 2,267 victims of violence, with minors making up 26% of the latter—more than double the rate from 2024. Many children suffered gunshot wounds. MSF described the violence as part of a territorial conflict where armed groups use sexual violence, looting, and drone attacks to terrorize communities.

With hospitals closing and residents unable to safely travel for treatment, the few centers still functioning face extreme pressure. MSF’s trauma hospital in Tabarre has had to expand its capacity by 50%, with one in four trauma cases linked to violence. The crisis was underscored on September 20, when a drone strike in Cité Soleil left 17 injured and several dead, including women and children.