As gang violence in Haiti continues to worsen, Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF) is the latest institution to sound the alarm. On Friday, the international medical charity announced it was suspending operations at a hospital in Tabarre after a group of armed men forcibly removed a patient and threatened staff members.

The violence in Haiti has been escalating since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on July 7, 2021, with virtually non-existent government systems making stemming attacks even more difficult.

Gangs have impeded access to healthcare facilities, forced the closure of schools and clinics, and worsened already dire food shortages. In March, MSF temporarily closed another hospital in Port-au-Prince due to “heavily armed rival groups” engaged in violent battles near the building.

As a result of the growing violence, many Haitians are trying to flee the country, with MSF head of programmes in Haiti, Mahaman Bachard Iro, noting that “there is such contempt for human life among the conflicting parties” that even the vulnerable, sick and wounded are not spared.

The United Nations and the United States have called for an international armed force to be deployed to Haiti to restore order and quell the violence. However, many Haitians – including leading rights groups in the country – have cautioned against sending foreign forces into a country with a long and painful history of foreign interference.

As an alternative, some advocates have proposed providing more training and funding to the under-resourced Haitian National Police. In the meantime, the US and its allies have issued a string of sanctions against Haitian officials and others involved in illicit activities, including drug trafficking.

However, the violence and insecurity has persisted, and a solution is desperately needed. It is clear that international action is required to address the escalating violence in Haiti, and that a combination of both security forces and humanitarian aid is needed for the nation to begin to recover.