16 Nov 2023 | 12:13 AM UTC
Haiti: Police rescue women and children from Fontaine Hospital Center in Cite Soleil area, Port-au-Prince, after gang surrounds facility Nov. 15
Gang surrounds Fontaine Hospital Center in Cite Soleil area, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Nov. 15, trapping those inside before police rescue.
Police will likely conduct more frequent patrols around the Fontaine Hospital Center in the Cite Soleil area of Port-au-Prince over at least the short term after gang members reportedly surrounded the facility and burned homes in the area Nov. 15. Hospital officials said that the gang members, allegedly affiliated with the Brooklyn gang, were heavily armed and trapped women and children inside the hospital until police arrived. Officers evacuated dozens of patients and children from the facility in armored vehicles. It was not immediately clear if the incident had resulted in any casualties.
Gang members will likely carry out further attacks in Port-au-Prince over the coming days and weeks, potentially including in Cite Soleil.
Avoid the incident site until authorities give the all-clear. Consider taking alternative routes to circumvent the Cite Soleil area until the situation stabilizes. Exercise heightened vigilance if operating in Port-au-Prince or elsewhere in Haiti. Keep away from areas most severely affected by criminal activity and refrain from nonessential travel after dark. Avoid areas where police or other security forces appear to be deploying. Maintain contact with diplomatic representations. Update and review contingency plans.
Gang-related violence poses a serious and escalating security risk in Haiti. Rates of homicide and kidnapping have increased in the country over the past year, in large part due to gang activity. Areas in and around the capital most severely affected by violent crime include Carrefour, Drouillard, Champs-de-Mars, Croix-des-Bouquets, Laboule 12, Cite Soleil, Martissant, Bel Air, Toussaint Brave, Bas-Delmas, Santo, Torcelle, and Fontamara.
