A new wave of gang violence in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, has displaced hundreds of people and forced the aid group Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to suspend work in local hospitals.

MSF said Monday that about 800 residents had sought refuge inside its hospital in the Cité Soleil neighborhood before operations were suspended. “Currently, not a single hospital is open in the area where the fighting is taking place,” MSF stated. A security guard was struck by a stray bullet.

Powerful gangs have controlled large parts of the capital since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. Government efforts to curb violence have been largely ineffective.

Another hospital, Hôpital Fontaine, evacuated newborns from intensive care. MSF treated transferred patients, including pregnant women who gave birth overnight.

A contingent of foreign troops arrived in April as part of a UN-linked effort, but past interventions have had little impact. “I am now sleeping in the street,” said 56-year-old Monique Verdieux, afraid to return home.

Source: www.aljazeera.com