A health charity has issued a stark warning that sexual abuse cases being treated at a clinic in Haiti's capital have tripled over the past four years, coinciding with a devastating surge in gang violence across the troubled Caribbean nation. Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), expressed profound alarm and outrage at the overwhelming scale of sexual and gender-based violence currently plaguing the country.
Shocking Increase in Violence and Severity
Diana Manilla Arroyo, MSF's head of mission in Haiti, revealed in a phone interview that the extent of the increase has shocked the organisation. 'It is not only the numbers, but the severity,' she emphasised, highlighting the brutal nature of the attacks. The charity's new report details that more than half of the patients treated at the Pran Men'm clinic in Port-au-Prince were assaulted by multiple members of armed groups.
The clinic, which opened a decade ago, has provided care to nearly 17,000 patients over that period. In the first nine months of last year alone, it treated 2,300 individuals. Disturbingly, the report notes that over 100 individuals were attacked by ten or more perpetrators simultaneously, with an average of three perpetrators per case. More than 350 of the patients treated are boys and men, underscoring that this violence affects all genders.
Changing Demographics and Gang Control
The profile of victims has shifted significantly in recent years. Before 2022, half of all cases involved patients younger than 18 years old. Today, that figure has dropped to 24%, while cases in the 50-80 age range have increased sevenfold. This change occurs against a backdrop of estimated 90% gang control in Port-au-Prince, where experts say sexual abuse is deliberately used to instil fear and dominate communities.
Armed groups are employing sexual violence as a weapon to terrorise, control, and subjugate populations, Manilla stated. The abuse frequently occurs during kidnappings, territorial takeovers, and attempts to control humanitarian aid distribution. The report includes harrowing testimonies, such as that of an unidentified 53-year-old woman who described being raped by three men young enough to be her children. 'They beat me and broke my teeth,' she recounted. 'After raping me, they also raped my daughter.'
Displacement and Shelter Crisis
Those living in makeshift shelters are at particular risk, with gang violence displacing a record 1.4 million people across Haiti in recent years, according to United Nations data. Nearly 70% of people who sought help after sexual abuse between January and September 2025 were displaced individuals. A 34-year-old woman quoted in the report highlighted the dangers in shelters where young women and boys are mixed together, forcing mothers to remain constantly vigilant.
MSF faces significant challenges in finding shelters willing to accept patients, with women who have children, are pregnant, or require medical care often being rejected. 'The lack of available services leaves survivors exposed to the same risks that led to their initial trauma,' the charity warned. 'Without safe shelter or relocation options, MSF discharges its patients straight back into the nightmare they came from, just to see them return another day after being violated again.'
Barriers to Reporting and Medical Care
Fear continues to prevent many survivors from reporting sexual abuse due to persistent stigma and a lack of faith in Haiti's police and justice systems. Another critical factor is the need to preserve one's life; civilians have been beaten or killed by vigilante groups if they are perceived to live in a gang-controlled neighbourhood, automatically associating them with armed groups.
This climate of fear has had dire consequences for timely medical intervention. Since 2022, the proportion of survivors seeking help at the Pran Men'm clinic within three days of their attack has halved, dropping from almost two-thirds to just one-third. Consequently, nearly 70% arrived too late to receive post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV. Similarly, those seeking care within five days dropped from 72% to 41%, meaning nearly 60% missed the opportunity to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Community Responses and Calls for Action
In response to the stigma, local nonprofit organisations are employing creative approaches to support women. One initiative uses arts, theatre, and music to reach survivors, who participate in focus groups to write and talk about their experiences in a safe environment. 'They find a way to understand their own reality, their own experiences,' explained Pascale Solages, coordinator of the independent Haitian feminist group Nègès Mawon. 'It can be difficult,' she acknowledged.
MSF has issued urgent calls for Haiti's government to allocate more funds to free healthcare and services for sexual abuse survivors. The charity proposed one immediate, practical measure: establishing a 24/7 government-operated hotline to provide confidential guidance and connect survivors to critical resources. Many survivors lack access to medical care, are displaced from their homes, and face immense barriers to finding support and rebuilding their lives, MSF emphasised, highlighting the comprehensive support needed to address this humanitarian crisis.
