NewsUN Designated Expert on Human Rights in Haiti William O’Neill warned Friday that armed gangs are systematically targeting the country’s healthcare system and called for the protection of Haitians’ access to health services.
According to O’Neill’s assessment, only 37 percent of health facilities in Port-au-Prince remain fully functional, with access severely limited by security concerns. The situation has been exacerbated by medical staff fleeing the country, fearing for their lives. O’Neill further found that gang members’ repeated threats to attack health premises indicate intentional assaults on the healthcare system rather than random violence, with some police officers allegedly involved in attacks against patients and threats to healthcare workers.
The statement cited recent violent incidents, including a December 17 assault on Bernard Mevs Hospital and the December 24 killing of journalists and a police officer at the General Hospital during its reopening ceremony. The UN expert also expressed concern about the spread of diseases such as cholera and tuberculosis, noting that the attacks have severely hindered Haitians’ right to health. O’Neill emphasized: “The Haitian people – including hundreds of thousands of children living in very precarious conditions – are once again paying the high price of this violence with their right to health severely hindered.”
In response to the crisis, O’Neill urged the international community to assist Haitian authorities in combating insecurity and ensuring access to healthcare while calling on the state to investigate attacks and bring perpetrators to justice.
The healthcare crisis occurs against the backdrop of widespread violence in Haiti. Since early 2024, the UN has documented over 5,350 deaths and more than 2,155 injuries from gang violence, with total casualties exceeding 17,000 since 2022. According to Human Rights Watch, the situation has severely impacted the healthcare system, with approximately 75 percent of facilities lacking adequate medical supplies and trained personnel.
In response to the escalating violence, international efforts to restore security have intensified. The first contingent of Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti in September 2024 as part of the UN-backed Multinational Security Support Mission authorized by Security Council Resolution 2699. The Security Council unanimously voted on September 30 to extend the Kenyan-led mission for another 12 months, though efforts to transition it to a fully funded UN peace operation were unsuccessful.
The security crisis emerges amid Haiti’s broader political instability following President Jovenel Moïse’s 2021 assassination. Human Rights Watch noted that the assassination has exacerbated Haiti’s constitutional crisis, with Parliament ceasing to function and the justice system facing enormous operational difficulties.
