Post by Médecins Sans Frontières Australia & Médecins Sans Frontières New Zealand

🔴Haiti: MSF forced to suspend operations at the Isaïe Jeanty Maternity hospital amid violence 🔴 Since the night of June 13–14, violence has been escalating around the Isaïe Jeanty Maternity Hospital, supported by MSF, in Cité Soleil. Caught in the crossfire and facing an untenable situation, the teams have been forced today to suspend their medical activities. Access to sexual and reproductive health care, already extremely limited in the area, is now almost non-existent. Thousands of people, particularly women, are unable to seek safe medical care. On the evening of 15 June, more than a hundred people — mostly women and children — fleeing the fighting sought refuge and access to water inside the maternity hospital. One woman was injured in the leg by a stray bullet inside the hospital grounds and was stabilized by our teams on site. The MSF hospital in Tabarre also treated people injured following the clashes in the area. Following further escalation in the fighting, the authorities were forced to suspend activities the next morning. MSF continued to provide emergency care, patients' stabilization and referrals for several days, but was then forced to evacuate its staff and suspend all activities on the morning of June 19. In Cité Soleil, home to around 300,000 people, access to health care for women is almost non‑existent. Many are forced to give birth at home in precarious conditions, significantly increasing the risk of obstetric complications. MSF had already been forced to temporarily suspend its activities in May at its hospital in Cité Soleil, located a few kilometres from the maternity hospital. As the security situation continues to deteriorate, the entire health system in the area is under threat. It is essential that armed actors respect civilians and that health facilities are protected at all costs so that medical teams can treat those in need.