Since Saturday, April 18, violent clashes have pitted several armed groups against each other in strategic neighborhoods north of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. The fighting is primarily taking place in the communes of Cité Soleil and Croix-des-Bouquets, affecting densely populated areas such as Jammeau, Fourgy, Dorigol, Lerbourt, Sibert, Village la Renaissance, Les Orangers, Silvina, Madelaine (in Croix-des-Bouquets), as well as Martial, Terre Noire – Blanchard, Sarthe, and Village des Rapatriés – Menetas (in Cité Soleil).
According to an IOM report published following these events, approximately 4,994 people (1,191 households) have been displaced within just a few days. Slightly more than half of them (52%) have found refuge with host families, while the remaining 48% have settled in seven sites – one of which already existed before these incidents and six were created on an emergency basis.
These same neighborhoods had already been the scene of armed clashes in March 2026, displacing nearly 3,000 people. According to the IOM, this recurrence of violence reflects “a growing deterioration of the security situation in this sector.”
In a statement released Wednesday, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) expressed its “great concern for the civilian population trapped in the clashes.” The medical organization describes a chaotic situation: hundreds of families fled in the middle of the night in heavy rain, while many residents did not even attempt to leave “because they are afraid of running into armed men.”
Several MSF staff members found themselves trapped at home due to gunfire, with no way to leave their neighborhoods safely. About forty people – employees and their families – had to take refuge in the MSF hospital in Cité Soleil, the only place deemed sufficiently safe.
Medical teams on the ground are witnessing the direct consequences of this new wave of violence. On Sunday and Monday, emergency services treated five times more gunshot wounds than the usual average. On Sunday, gunfire rang out in the immediate vicinity of the hospital, repeatedly forcing staff to take cover.
To protect patients and caregivers, MSF had to reduce certain activities, including services for victims of sexual violence. On Monday, part of the outpatient consultations also had to be closed.
Davina Hayles, MSF’s Head of Mission, recalls that “in a context where the health system is already weakened after several years of violence, it is imperative to guarantee the access of the sick and wounded to health facilities that are still functioning.” The organization issues a solemn appeal to all relevant actors to respect and protect medical facilities, sanitary transport, and healthcare personnel.
The Défenseurs Plus Collective denounces state “impunity”
In a firm statement, the Défenseurs Plus collective strongly condemns this new wave of violence in the Cul-de-Sac Plain. The human rights defense collective asserts that these “acts of banditry” do not happen by chance: they are the direct consequence of the absence of effective public authority and a state that fails to fulfill its fundamental obligations – guaranteeing security, protecting life, and ensuring respect for the rights of every person on Haitian territory.
“The right to live in security is not a favor, but a legal and constitutional obligation of the state towards the population,” the collective reminds. Each time these violent acts recur without a concrete response from the state, it leads, according to them, to “calling into question the real existence of public authorities.”
Défenseurs Plus demands without delay: an effective and coordinated intervention to restore order and security in the affected areas; immediate protection for the civilian population directly threatened by armed groups; rapid humanitarian assistance for all displaced persons; and a credible judicial response to identify, arrest, and prosecute the perpetrators and accomplices of these criminal acts.
The organization warns: “Each time the state stands idly by without acting, it allows violence to seem normal. This is what we call the impunity of the transition government.” According to them, this impunity represents “a major threat to social stability and respect for human rights,” proportionally reducing the chances of organizing credible elections before 2027.
Finally, the Défenseurs Plus collective calls on the international community to support the Haitian National Police (PNH) and the Armed Forces (FAd’H) through the framework of the Gang Repression Force (FRG). It insists on the need for technical and logistical support to enable law enforcement to be effective without violating the fundamental rights of citizens.
As fighting continues, MSF teams are continuing to monitor the situation and assess needs. The organization says it is ready to intervene to help displaced people “as soon as security conditions permit.”
The IOM, for its part, continues its monitoring and promises to communicate any additional information in the event of further developments.
In this Cul-de-Sac Plain, where thousands of families now live under sheet metal or with relatives, without access to drinking water or healthcare, the emergency is total. But for now, the guns continue to speak. And the failing state seems powerless to protect its own people.
By Darbouze Figaro and Marie Farah Fortuné
