UN expert condemns gang attacks on health facilities and personnel in Haiti

He UN expert on the human rights situation in Haiti* this Friday condemned the intentional attacks on hospitals, clinics and health personnel by armed gangs, recalling that medical facilities were already “on the verge of collapse.”

In a statement, William O’Neill cited in particular an attack on the Bernard Mevs Hospital in Port-au-Prince on December 17, and the murder of several journalists and a police officer at General Hospital on December 24.

“Criminal gangs have murdered and kidnapped doctors, nurses and healthcare workers, including humanitarian workers,” O’Neill noted, detailing that the gangs “They burned, looted and destroyed many hospitals and clinics, forcing many of those facilities to close or suspend operations.”

Only 37% of health centers operate in the capital

According to the expert, only the 37% of Port-au-Prince’s healthcare facilities They are fully operational.

Furthermore, he explained, it is still difficult to access these services due to violence rampant gang activity in the capital, which has endangered millions of Haitians.

O’Neill highlighted repeated threats to attack health facilities, adding that some reports indicate that they also police officers would be involved.

“The Haitian people, including hundreds of thousands of children living in very precarious conditions, are once again paying the high price of violence, with their right to health seriously hindered,” he lamented.

The expert expressed particular concern about the spread of diseases such as cholera and tuberculosis.

Journalists at risk

O’Neill also highlighted the December 24 attacks as an example of the risks journalists face in Haiti. Many information professionals have been murdered or have fled the country due to death threats.

The expert requested international support to the Caribbean country in the fight against insecurity and the guarantee of the right to health.

“I urge the international community to do everything possible to help Haitian authorities to combat rampant insecurity and ensure the realization of the right to health, including unhindered access to health facilities, goods and services,” he noted.

Likewise, he highlighted the need for the State investigate and bring those responsible to justice of the attacks.

* Special rapporteurs, independent experts and working groups are part of what is known as special procedures of the Human Rights Council. The Special Procedures, the largest group of independent experts in the United Nations human rights system, is the general name for the Council’s independent investigative and oversight mechanisms, which address specific country situations or thematic issues across all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; They are not United Nations staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent of any government or organization and work in their individual capacity.