Haiti’s healthcare system is teetering on the brink of collapse, with 60% of hospitals barely functioning, UNICEF warned on Wednesday. The UN children’s agency highlighted the dire situation amid a backdrop of deadly gang violence and an impending international intervention led by Kenya.
“Haiti’s health system is on the verge of collapse,” stated Bruno Maes, UNICEF’s representative in Haiti. He emphasized that millions of children are at heightened risk of disease and malnutrition. “The combination of violence, mass displacement, dangerous epidemics, and increasing malnutrition has bent Haiti’s health system, but the strangling of supply chains may be what breaks it.”
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Medical supplies are in critically short supply, as both domestic and international cargo flights have only recently resumed following a 2.5-month closure of Port-au-Prince’s airport. UNICEF reported that containers filled with vital supplies have been delayed or looted, leaving hundreds of containers filled with humanitarian aid stranded in the capital, unable to be distributed.
“We cannot allow vital supplies that could save children’s lives to remain blocked in warehouses and containers. They must be delivered now,” Maes urged.
The gang violence in Port-au-Prince has forced tens of thousands of people to flee, many seeking refuge in southern Haiti, which is now struggling to cope with the increased demand on its health services. The UN agency noted that 40% of medical staff have left Haiti due to the ongoing turmoil.
Haiti is also grappling with severe food insecurity, with 4.4 million people in need of food aid and 1.6 million facing emergency levels of acute food insecurity. Additionally, a cholera outbreak since October 2022 has resulted in 82,000 suspected cases. The arrival of the rainy season is expected to exacerbate the situation, increasing the prevalence of water-borne diseases and mosquito-borne illnesses like malaria.
The country has been mired in political instability for decades. In February, gangs launched coordinated attacks on key sites, claiming their intent to overthrow then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Henry has since resigned, and a transitional ruling council was sworn in last month, marking the first step toward forming a new government.
In response to the crisis, Kenya is set to deploy police officers as part of a UN-backed multinational mission to combat the gangs controlling most of Port-au-Prince. A first contingent from Kenya could arrive in Haiti this week, coinciding with Kenyan President William Ruto’s state visit to Washington.
