Hospital director in Haiti says police rescued women and children after gangs surround facility

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In Haiti, a distressing incident unfolded at a medical facility as a heavily armed gang besieged a hospital, leaving women, children, and infants trapped within its walls. The director of the medical center, Mr. Jose Ulysse, urgently appealed for assistance through social media.

Fontaine Hospital Center, situated in the expansive Cite Soleil slum within the capital, Port-au-Prince, found itself encircled by the menacing gang. Reports initially indicated that the gang might have infiltrated the hospital itself, heightening the urgency of the situation.

Mr. Ulysse, deeply concerned about the safety of those under his care, reached out to Haiti’s National Police for aid. In a commendable response, the police arrived with three armored vehicles, swiftly executing an evacuation operation. They safely transported 40 children and 70 patients to a secure residence in a different part of the city. Among those requiring special care were infants reliant on oxygen support.

Ulysse lamented the dire circumstances, noting that the gangs had effectively seized control of the entire vicinity. Unfortunately, a spokesperson for Haiti’s National Police did not provide an immediate comment regarding the incident.

The Fontaine Hospital Center serves as a vital sanctuary in a community plagued by rampant gang activity. These criminal groups have escalated their violence, targeting each other and subjecting the civilian population of Cite Soleil to a grim reality of sexual assault, brutality, and loss of life.

Identifying the culprits responsible for the siege, Ulysse named the Brooklyn gang, led by Gabriel Jean-Pierre, commonly known as “Ti Gabriel.” Jean-Pierre also holds the leadership of the formidable gang coalition known as G-Pep, one of two rival alliances in Haiti. The Brooklyn gang, consisting of approximately 200 members, exerts control over specific sectors within Cite Soleil, including the Brooklyn district. Their activities encompass extortion, cargo theft, and widespread violence against civilians, as per a recent U.N. report.

The report highlighted the growing cooperation and diversification of revenues among G-Pep and its affiliates, primarily through kidnapping for ransom, further fortifying their combat capabilities.

This distressing incident is not the first time that the Fontaine Hospital Center faced threats from criminal elements. Ulysse revealed that gangs had previously targeted him personally on two separate occasions.

The situation in Haiti has continued to deteriorate since the tragic assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. Gangs have grown in power, and incidents of kidnapping and violence have surged.

Earlier this year, another unsettling event unfolded when a group of at least 20 armed gang members forcibly entered a hospital operated by Doctors Without Borders, snatching a patient from an operating room. They gained access by fabricating a life-threatening emergency, causing alarm and concern within the organization.

This report includes contributions from Dánica Coto, a reporter for Big Big News based in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Hospital Siege

More about Hospital Siege

• Hospital Siege in Haiti – The Big Big News
• Fontaine Hospital Center – Official Website
• Haiti National Police
• Gang Violence in Haiti – U.N. Report
• President Jovenel Moïse Assassination – Background
• Doctors Without Borders Hospital Incident – News Coverage
• Cite Soleil – Overview