UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations says its Pan-American Health Organization’s (PAHO) representative in Haiti, Dr. Oscar Barreneche, has warned that the health system in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince is “on the brink” and “crippled by escalating violence”.
On Friday, the UN said the Haitian health ministry estimates that almost 40 per cent of facilities providing beds for treatment, including the country’s main university hospital, have shut down in the last two months alone because of insecurity and looting, mainly perpetrated by gangs.
The UN said Haiti, and in particular Port-au-Prince, continues to witness unprecedented levels of lawlessness and brutality as gangs continue to fight for influence and territory.
Meanwhile, some 580,000 people are displaced within the French-speaking Caribbean country.
It said the security crisis is having a huge impact on an already fragile healthcare system.
“Access to healthcare – as well as essential social services, hygiene facilities and psychological assistance in Haiti – is scarce and capacity, especially in the capital, remains extremely limited.”
“Health facilities have closed or have drastically reduced their operations because they are running out of medicine and vital medical supplies, some of which have been looted,” it added. In the Artibonite department just north of the capital, where gangs have recently become dominant, only a quarter of health facilities are functional, the UN said.
It said the number of available medical staff, who often cannot get to work because of security concerns, is also decreasing.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that around 40 per cent of healthcare providers have left the country recently “due to extreme levels of insecurity.”
The closure of hospitals and health facilities has left an estimated 3,000 pregnant women struggling to access maternal health services according to the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA.
“The neonatal, pediatric, and nutritional units that are still functioning are overwhelmed and the few still operating in areas controlled by armed groups lack adequate human resources, equipment, and medicines to provide essential health and nutrition services,” said the UN, adding that it is “concerned that a child health and nutrition crisis could cost the lives of countless children.”
It said insecurity in Port-au-Prince has made it virtually impossible for supplies to reach at least 58,000 children suffering from severe wasting in the metropolitan area.
The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) has also warned that violence and insecurity are affecting the mental health of displaced people including women, leading to distress and even suicidal behavior.
The UN says that two out of every five Haitians need urgent access to care and, “despite the many challenges the country faces, the healthcare system is still functioning, and some patients are receiving the treatment they need.”
The UN said the Hôpital Universitaire de La Paix, in Port-au-Prince, which is supported by PAHO., is on the frontline of providing services – including treating gun-shot wounds among other emergency care needs.
The hospital director, Dr. Paul Junior Fontilus, told PAHO that an emergency plan had been activated “to better manage the influx of seriously injured people.
“Our priority is to ensure that all victims receive the immediate care they need,” he said.
The international airport in Port-au-Prince had been closed because of gang activity but it has resumed operations, a positive development according to Dr. Barreneche.
“The reopening of the airport has offered a lifeline, allowing us to restock critical medical supplies and equipment,” he said. “Yet, the battle is far from over, with humanitarian conditions gradually worsening for an increasing number of Haitians.”
The UN said the arrival in Haiti of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission (which although backed by the UN Security Council is not a UN operation), will provide operational support to the Haitian police in countering gangs and boost security around critical infrastructure like hospitals.
The UN Security Council also called on the MSS, through its support to the police, to help ensure unhindered and safe access to humanitarian aid for the people receiving assistance.
Together with local partners, the UN said it and other humanitarian organizations are providing life-saving assistance on a daily basis.
In places where displaced people have fled, the UN said PAHO is providing support along with other UN agencies, such as IOM, UNFPA and the World Food Program (WFP).
The UN said UNFPA and PAHO are supporting three hospitals in Port-au-Prince to provide maternal health services, including emergency obstetric care.
The UN said it is also providing medicines and supplies, including for the clinical management of rape survivors, to 13 health facilities in the capital and surrounding region.
Additionally, the UN said it has deployed mobile clinics to seven displacement sites to support women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health, reaching close to 4,500 people so far.
Thousands of dignity kits containing hygiene and other essential supplies have also been distributed to the most vulnerable.
“We face ongoing challenges that demand unwavering support and action to ensure stable and accessible life-saving healthcare for the people in need,” Dr. Barreneche said.
