A key hospital in Haiti, Bernard Mevs in Port-au-Prince, was rendered inoperable after armed groups set it ablaze on Monday night, hospital and police sources reported on Tuesday.
Though no injuries were reported, the fire caused extensive damage, destroying four operating rooms, a laboratory, imaging equipment, and administrative offices.
The attackers, suspected to be members of the “Viv Ansanm” (“Living Together”) gang alliance, used Molotov cocktails to ignite the flames, according to hospital sources.
“It’s a whole symbol that has gone up in smoke,” a hospital representative said, highlighting the devastating impact on the capital’s already strained medical system.
Bernard Mevs Hospital was a cornerstone of Haiti’s healthcare, known for housing some of the country’s most advanced medical imaging technology. Its loss will severely reduce medical capacity in the beleaguered city.
This attack is the latest in a wave of escalating violence in Haiti’s capital, where armed gangs have increased their stranglehold over multiple neighbourhoods. Earlier in December, nearly 200 people were massacred in an attack led by a powerful gang leader targeting voodoo practitioners, according to the United Nations and a local NGO.
Key infrastructure has also been targeted. In November, gang violence forced the closure of Port-au-Prince’s airport to commercial flights, further isolating the nation.
Despite the deployment of a multinational mission led by Kenya and supported by the UN and the United States to assist Haitian police, armed groups continue to carry out widespread atrocities. They are accused of murder, rape, looting, and kidnappings for ransom, with little sign of abatement.
