Amid escalating violence and political unrest in Haiti,
CharityWatch reached out to several Top-Rated charities with a history of
working in the region to understand what aid they are continuing to provide.
Doctors Without Borders responded to CharityWatch’s
inquiry on March 12, 2024. We hope you find this information useful as you
consider how best to support Haitian relief efforts during this difficult time.
Is your organization still operating in Haiti? If yes,
please describe your operations there.
"Yes, Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans
Frontières or MSF, operates medical facilities and health programs in and
around the capital Port-au-Prince and in Haiti's South region. All of our
medical facilities provide care free of charge to patients.
These include:
- MSF's trauma and burn Hospital in the Tabarre area of
Port-au-Prince, providing medical and surgical care, physiotherapy and
psychological support to victims of road accidents, major burns, bullet wounds
and knife wounds.
- MSF's emergency center in the Cité Soleil area of
Port-au-Prince. The center includes an emergency department, services for
survivors of sexual violence and an outpatient clinic.
- MSF's emergency center in the Turgeau area of
Port-au-Prince (reopened since March 6, 2024).
- MSF’s trauma hospital in Carrefour, located just to the
west of Port-au-Prince. It is a new 25-bed facility that MSF opened on March 4,
2024.
- MSF’s Pran Men’m clinic for survivors of sexual and
gender-based violence, located in Port-au-Prince. The clinic remains open
24/7.
- MSF's maternity hospital in Port-à-Piment, in Haiti's Sud (South)
department. MSF provides comprehensive emergency obstetric and neonatal care at
the Port-à-Piment maternity hospital. MSF also supports sexual and reproductive
health activities in the area's health centers."
In light of the political instability that has escalated in recent days,
can you share how your organization is responding? Specifically, are you
working to evacuate your staff, contractors, or other contacts, or, are you
continuing to provide aid, and in what capacity?
"The medical programs mentioned above are continuing. We
saw an increase in patients with gunshot wounds and patients with traumatic
injuries due to the escalating violence and political unrest since February 28."
"In response, we added 25 beds for trauma patients at our
hospital in Tabarre, reaching a temporary total of 75 beds for trauma patients
in the facility. We accelerated our timetable for opening the Carrefour trauma
hospital and for reopening the Turgeau emergency center due to the increased
needs since February 28."
"Since the escalation of the violence from February 28
onward, we have temporarily suspended mobile clinics in several areas of
Port-au-Prince and intend to begin them again when it is safe to do so."
Are you currently collecting donations specifically for Haiti relief
currently being conducted in the country? If so, can you share a link to that
specific donation page?
"We collect donations globally for our programs and are
not asking donors to restrict their donations specifically for Haiti at this
time. For this reason we do not have a web page currently soliciting restricted
donations for Haiti. Donors may, however, restrict their donation to our Haiti
programs if they choose, by contacting our donor services team."
Can you share your imminent, future plans for conducting charitable work
in Haiti? Meaning, do you intend to evacuate your staff, contractors, or other
contacts, or do you at this time intend to continue your work there?
"We have worked in Haiti since 1991 and intend to continue
working in the country for the foreseeable future because the unmet medical and
humanitarian needs are high and are only increasing. The large majority of our
staff are Haitian. Our internationally mobile staff remain in the country as
well."
"Prior to February 28, we have regularly had
internationally mobile staff arriving and departing the country, but the
closure of the Port-au-Prince airport has delayed arrivals and departures. We
also currently face difficulties in accessing medical cargo at the port. We
continue to look for solutions to bring in needed supplies and personnel and
for staff to exit the country according to our plans."
Is there any additional information you would like to share?
"Please see our website doctorswithoutborders.org for updates on
our Haiti operations and on other contexts."
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