Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF) said it has permanently closed its emergency center in Port‑au‑Prince, withdrawing one of the last international medical lifelines in Haiti’s capital as violence and lawlessness escalate. The organization said it could no longer guarantee the safety of patients and staff after repeated incidents that impeded access to the facility and put caregivers at risk.

“In recent months the security situation in Port‑au‑Prince has deteriorated to the point that we cannot ensure the protection of our teams or the people who need care,” MSF said in a statement. The group added that the decision was made “with deep regret” and followed a growing series of attacks, roadblocks and armed incursions that hampered operations and jeopardized patient transfers.

The closure removes a facility that had been a critical destination for trauma surgery and emergency care for victims of shootings and gang-related violence. Local clinicians and humanitarian coordinators warned that the departure will increase pressure on Haiti’s already overstretched public hospitals and clinics, many of which lack surgical capacity, reliable supplies and staff. Patients who previously accessed MSF services will now face longer, more dangerous journeys or no care at all.

Haiti has seen a steady expansion of gang control across Port‑au‑Prince and surrounding neighborhoods, with armed groups frequently blocking roads, enforcing curfews and seizing goods. The disruption has had ripple effects across the country: supply chains for medicine and fuel have been repeatedly interrupted, and humanitarian organizations report difficulty moving teams and supplies into areas of greatest need.

International actors have repeatedly urged Haitian authorities and armed actors to protect civilians and humanitarian operations. The United Nations, the United States and regional governments have expressed concern about the collapse of public order and called for measures to restore security, but concrete progress has been limited. Humanitarian officials say the MSF withdrawal signals a shrinking of neutral medical space at precisely the moment when civilian casualties are climbing.

Haitian health officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the closure. Local health workers say that as international groups scale back, many Haitians will turn to informal providers or endure delays in treatment that can be fatal for trauma and obstetric emergencies. “Every hour matters when someone needs surgery,” said an emergency physician who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons. “Losing a facility like that means more preventable deaths.”

MSF said it would continue some programs elsewhere in Haiti where conditions permit, but that its capacity would be substantially reduced. The group urged armed actors to respect medical neutrality and called on national and international authorities to take urgent action to protect patients and rebuild humanitarian access.

The closure highlights a broader diplomatic and policy challenge: international providers are increasingly constrained by insecurity, while solutions rooted in Haitian institutions remain elusive. Without immediate steps to protect civilians and reopen humanitarian corridors, the fallout from MSF’s exit is likely to be felt not only in Port‑au‑Prince but across the region, as waves of displacement and public health crises compound an already fragile recovery.