Haiti: Armed attacks and displacements in the Port-au-Prince Metropolitan Area - Flash Update #5 (As of 22 November 2024)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Since 11 November, attacks by armed groups in the Port-au-Prince Metropolitan Area (ZMPAP) have displaced nearly 41,000 people.
• Women and girls, particularly those forced to flee their homes, face increasing risks of violence.
• United Nations Air Service (UNHAS) resumed flights on 20 November between Port-au-Prince and Cap Haitien.
• MSF suspended its activities in the ZMPAP due to targeted attacks.
• Despite increasingly difficult conditions, humanitarian aid continues to be deployed on the ground.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

A new round of attacks in the Port-au-Prince Metropolitan Area (ZMPAP) since 11 November has displaced nearly 41,000 people, some for the second or third time. This is the largest mass displacement recorded in the ZMPAP since the International Organization for Migration (IOM) began monitoring in January 2023. Of the displaced people, 64 per cent took refuge in areas within the municipality of Port-au-Prince, 25 per cent in Delmas and 9 per cent in Pétion-Ville. Most (90 per cent) have found refuge in reception sites. This situation has led to the creation of 19 new sites, while 21 others have been abandoned due to violence, creating additional urgent needs.

Women and girls are particularly affected by this ongoing violence, especially when they are displaced, as they have extremely limited access to health care, hygiene and food. They are also more exposed to gender-based violence (GBV) and increased risks of exploitation, as well as negative coping mechanisms, such as the use of transactional sex. Furthermore, as UNFPA points out, sexual and reproductive health services, as well as GBV care, remain severely underfunded, undermining their ability to meet growing needs.

Violence and other humanitarian violations continue to disrupt ongoing operations. Following attacks on its staff and equipment, the NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has decided to suspend its operations in the ZMPAP as of 21 November. The humanitarian community reaffirmed the critical importance of upholding humanitarian standards, highlighting the obligation to protect medical personnel and health facilities that provide life-saving assistance to vulnerable populations.

Following the shooting at a commercial aircraft near the Port-au-Prince International Airport on 11 November, the airport has been closed until further notice. United Nations Air Service (UNHAS) flights, which allow the movement of humanitarian personnel, resumed on 20 November between the capital and the northern city of Cap-Haitien. Other flights are scheduled between Cap-Haitien and other provincial cities during the week of November 25.

Despite security challenges and lack of funding, UN agencies and their partners continue to work tirelessly to meet the humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable, in collaboration with local authorities and actors.