“I tried to reach the hospital, but it was impossible because of the shooting” 
Sterline, a patient receiving follow-up care at the MSF supported Isaïe Jeanty maternity hospital in Chancerelles, Cité Soleil. 


Escalating armed violence in Cité Soleil, Port‑au‑Prince, has forced over ten thousand people to flee in a week, severely disrupting local health services. Access to essential medical care – including patient referrals – has been sharply restricted. Followed throughout her pregnancy at the MSF-supported Isaïe Jeanty Maternity Hospital, Sterline recounts how the violence led to the separation from her newborn, who was receiving care at a public hospital and had to be urgently evacuated without relatives present.

After five days, and with the support of MSF teams coordinating between facilities, they were finally reunited and Sterline was able to hold her daughter again. The baby remains hospitalised, as her condition is still fragile.

This story illustrates how ongoing violence and insecurity continue to limit access to maternal and neonatal care, with potential life‑threatening consequences for the most vulnerable patients.