October 18, 2025
Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization that provides emergency medical aid in crisis zones around the world.
Ongoing violence in Haiti’s capital, Port-Au-Prince, has caused Doctors Without Borders to close its emergency care center permanently.
Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization that provides emergency medical aid in crisis zones around the world. The organization operates independently and impartially, responding to medical needs regardless of race, religion, or politics. Operations are usually found in places where other organizations cannot or will not go due to conflict, disease, or disaster.
As NPR first reported, Doctors Without Borders’ emergency care center has been a lifeline to Haiti’s capital city, which is now 90% controlled by gangs. More than half of the health facilities in Port Au Prince have shuttered doors because of the violence. The emergency center, which opened in 2006, temporarily closed in March after armed men opened fire on four of the organization’s vehicles as staff evacuated the center.
“The building has already been hit several times by stray bullets due to its location close to the combat zones, which would make resuming activities too dangerous for both patients and staff,” Jean-Marc Biquet, MSF head of mission in Haiti, told NPR.
Millions Displaced In Haiti Due To Violence, According To United Nations
According to the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM), the violence has displaced over one million people since the beginning of the year. Children make up over half of the displaced population.
“In the capital alone, displacement has nearly doubled, rising by 87 percent, fueled by relentless gang violence, the collapse of essential services – particularly healthcare – and worsening food insecurity,” the IOM reported. “This represents the highest recorded number of displacements due to violence in Haiti, underscoring the urgent needs for security and assistance.”
From January to June, over 3,000 people have been killed across Haiti, and an additional 1,100 were injured. Between 2021 and March 2025, Doctors Without Borders reportedly treated more than 100,000 patients.
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