A friend in the Haitian capital messaged me, describing Port-au-Prince as being in a state of panic. Residents of Petionville, a wealthier area within the city, are deeply unsettled following one of the most violent days in the country’s escalating security crisis. The streets are strewn with over a dozen bodies, each riddled with bullet wounds, marking the aftermath of the latest gang rampage.
In addition to the morning’s killing spree, the residence of a judge was also targeted—an evident message directed towards the country’s elites contending for power. Despite being deemed the safer part of town, such incidents highlight the fragile security situation. Unicef’s executive director, Catherine Russell, has characterized the conditions in Haiti as “horrific,” drawing parallels to the lawlessness depicted in the post-apocalyptic film, Mad Max.
The recent surge in violence in Port-au-Prince serves as a stark reminder that Haiti is teetering on the brink of anarchy rather than stability. Amidst this turmoil, the closure of numerous hospitals in the capital has left an estimated 3,000 pregnant women at risk of giving birth without proper maternity care, as noted by the UN.
During our visit to the maternity ward of Cap Haitien’s public hospital, the cries of Baby Woodley, born just a day ago, echoed the universal plea for nourishment and comfort, underscoring the dire circumstances facing newborns in Haiti.