Three Killed In Attack At Haiti Hospital During Reopening Briefing

• Armed men attacked Haiti’s General Hospital during a briefing, killing three, including two journalists and a police officer.
• The attack, blamed on the Viv Ansanm gang, left several others injured amid ongoing gang violence in Port-au-Prince.
• Despite international intervention, 85% of the capital remains under gang control, with Haiti on the brink of collapse.

At least three people were killed when armed men opened fire during a briefing at Haiti’s largest public hospital, the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince.

Eko Hot Blog reports that the attackers targeted journalists, police, and medical staff as they gathered to announce the reopening of the facility.

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The Tuesday attack also left several others injured. Graphic images shared online show victims, both wounded and deceased, inside the hospital.

The General Hospital, recently recaptured by the Haitian government in July after being overrun and destroyed by gangs, had been a symbol of hope for recovery in the gang-ravaged capital.

Journalists awaiting the arrival of Health Minister Lorthe Blema were caught in the crossfire when the shooting began. Reports indicate that two journalists and a police officer were among the fatalities.

“It felt like a terrible movie,” said Dieugo André, a photojournalist who witnessed the attack. “I have the blood of several injured journalists on my clothes.”

Authorities have identified the assailants as members of the Viv Ansanm gang.

In a video statement, Leslie Voltaire, head of Haiti’s presidential transitional council, expressed condolences to the families of the victims, particularly those of the police and journalists, and vowed that the attack would not go unanswered.

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Despite efforts to restore stability, including the installation of a transitional government in April and the deployment of an international force led by Kenyan police officers, Haiti remains mired in extreme violence. An estimated 85% of Port-au-Prince is controlled by gangs, and the UN reports that gang-related violence has claimed 5,000 lives this year alone.

The crisis follows years of instability, exacerbated by the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Haiti now faces unprecedented levels of insecurity and is on the brink of collapse.

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