The Humanitarian Crisis in Haiti: Dark Maternity Wards, Closed Airports, and a War-Torn Capital
As photojournalist Giles Clarke traversed the maternity ward of the Justinien University Hospital in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, he inquired about the reasons behind the darkness enveloping the room. Dr. Petit-Frere Arabella, the resident maternity doctor, replied that only a few lights functioned in the hospital, and they relied heavily on generators. These power sources were costly to maintain due to the financial constraints faced by the medical facility. Additionally, there was no running water as the main hospital pump had malfunctioned. The healthcare workers were doing their best under challenging circumstances. Haiti currently grapples with an epidemic of gang violence and political instability, which has precipitated a humanitarian crisis in this Caribbean nation.
Supplies have become increasingly scarce as little is making its way into the country. Jacob Burns, operations manager for Médecins Sans Frontières, disclosed that the airport, port, and roads were all closed. No significant medical supplies had been delivered to their organization in weeks. Food availability has also become a significant issue, though efforts have been made by the World Food Programme to bridge the gap. However, its stocks are depleting rapidly, and there have been shortfalls in funding for the UN’s Humanitarian Response Plan.
Clarke managed to return to Port-au-Prince earlier this month through a helicopter operated by the World Food Programme. During his visit, he documented some of the few operational medical facilities and also captured images of chaotic displacement sites and dilapidated schools that had been taken over by people fleeing gang violence. “The city I have known and visited for the past 14 years is now a war zone in many areas,” he lamented. “Streets where we drove just twelve weeks ago are now empty and under gang control—no-go zones.”
The General Hospital, where Clarke had previously met doctors, nurses, and patients in February, was no longer functional. It had been taken over by a gang and now served as a forward base for attacks on the nearby National Palace. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry stepped down last month, handing power over to a transitional council. Haiti is now awaiting the deployment of a multinational security support force, led by Kenya. “Contractors are frantically constructing temporary shelters for them near the airport,” Clarke said, “but they are likely to number only a few hundred. The gang leaders, however, have vowed to resist until the last man and maintain control over their territories.”
