A major setback for health care in Port-au-Prince.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has announced the permanent closure of its Turgeau Emergency Center in the heart of Port-au-Prince, a decision taken “as a last resort” amid escalating armed violence that has made medical activity “impossible and too perilous” in the area, the NGO said in a statement to the press on Tuesday, Oct. 14. This closure comes against a backdrop of Haiti’s political vacuum, where the absence of effective governance has emboldened armed groups, allowing them to act with impunity and heightening the danger for humanitarian operations.
The facility, which employed 206 staff and treated more than 100,000 patients between 2021 and March 2025, had already suspended operations in March following a serious security incident. Since then, the humanitarian organization conducted multiple technical assessments, urgently seeking ballistic protection measures to secure the site.
“None of the options provided a sufficient level of security,” said Jean-Marc Biquet, MSF’s head of mission in Haiti.
The center’s location—regularly affected by clashes—made it particularly vulnerable. “The building has, in fact, already been hit several times by stray bullets,” he noted, making any resumption of activities “too dangerous for patients as well as staff.”
In the midst of the deteriorating security situation, the center had become an increasingly dangerous place for both patients and staff. Consider the story of Marie, a young mother caught in the crossfire. On March 15, 2025, while being transported for emergency care, the MSF convoy she was in was attacked on Avenue Christophe. Just months earlier, on November 11, 2024, another incident had seen an MSF ambulance hijacked in Delmas 33; during this horrifying event, staff were threatened, and tragically, some patients did not survive. Even more chilling was the December 12, 2023 incident, where a patient was forcibly removed from an ambulance and executed mere meters from the Turgeau center. These harrowing stories reflect the broader climate of violence that has plagued Port-au-Prince, specifically targeting indispensable humanitarian efforts.
This accumulation of violent events underscores the collapse of respect for humanitarian and medical space protections that are vital for thousands of civilians.
“MSF deeply regrets this decision,” Biquet said, acknowledging “the significant impact on access to care for a population already severely affected by violence, instability, and increasingly precarious living conditions.”
Before its closure, the Turgeau center had been a crucial link in the capital’s deteriorating health system, providing emergency care to residents trapped by violence. On average, the center treated approximately 130 patients daily, a substantial volume highlighting the significant gap now left in healthcare services.
Despite the closure, the organization says it remains “fully mobilized” and is “actively exploring all alternatives” to maintain medical support in Port-au-Prince and Carrefour.
A major obstacle remains, however, for some activities. MSF said it is “still waiting for the signing of a memorandum of understanding to establish a humanitarian corridor between Port-au-Prince and Carrefour,” describing it as a “prerequisite” for restarting services suspended since March 2025.
The organization issued a solemn appeal to “all parties to respect humanitarian and medical work,” specifying that all armed groups and stakeholders must allow medical teams safe and unrestricted access to affected communities. MSF further stressed that medical action must be carried out “with full neutrality, in a space protected from violence.”
Additionally, MSF highlighted the legal obligations under international law, referencing specific articles of the Geneva Conventions which mandate protection for medical units and personnel. These articles, by providing enforceable norms, aim to deter future violations and reinforce the urgent need for respect and protection of humanitarian efforts.
Even as it withdraws from Turgeau, MSF continues operations elsewhere in the capital through Tabarre hospital, the Cité Soleil emergency center, the Pran Men’m clinic, primary health care in Delmas 4, Bel Air, Bas Bel Air/La Saline, and the Isaïe Jeanty maternity hospital, which was recently reopened in partnership with the Ministry of Health.
The closure of the Turgeau center highlights the deepening crisis in Haiti, where political instability and violence have left the population increasingly exposed and unprotected.
