MSF, Doctors Without Borders, escalation of violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti,
Violence

MSF calls for protection of civilians as violence in Bel Air forces suspension of activities

Press Release9 January 2026

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is deeply concerned about violence in Haiti due to the recent intensification of clashes between the Haitian National Police (PNH) and armed groups in the Bel Air neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince.

In this area of the capital, where no other medical services are available, MSF teams usually run a clinic one day a week, while volunteer community health workers are present every day to provide basic care and refer patients.

MSF, Doctors Without Borders, escalation of violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti,
Bel Air is one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the capital, which has long been affected by violence and insecurity. It is also one of the areas most affected by the 2010 earthquake with many houses still in ruins.
Johnson Sabin
The medical interventions we carry out in Bel Air and Bas Delmas provide essential care to several thousand patients every month. Without these clinics, they would be completely deprived of access to healthcare. Nicholas Tessier, MSF head of mission in Haiti

On Tuesday, 6 January, the former school building used for MSF's medical activities became a battlefield amid intense fighting between an armed group and the PNH. Seven community volunteers were trapped there for several hours before managing to escape.

These events also claimed the life of a former community volunteer who had collaborated with our organisation in 2025. Seriously injured, he arrived at the clinic a few minutes after the volunteer staff had evacuated. Unable to receive first aid, he sadly died from his injuries in front of the building's gate. This situation is not an isolated case.
 

MSF, Doctors Without Borders, escalation of violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti,
An MSF motorcycle driver and a health promoter depart from the Port-à-Piment Health Center to engage the community and raise awareness about maternal health.
Marx Stanley Léveillé/MSF

The increasing violence is seriously endangering the lives of the thousands of civilians living in this neighbourhood, and is alarmingly compromising their access to healthcare. MSF calls on all parties to respect medical facilities, healthcare personnel, patients and civilians.

“The medical interventions we carry out in Bel Air and Bas Delmas provide essential care to several thousand patients every month. Without these clinics, they would be completely deprived of access to healthcare,” says Nicholas Tessier, MSF head of mission in Haiti. "Today, due to this new episode of violence, we are forced to suspend all our activities in Bel Air until further notice."