Haitian authorities are struggling to address the rise of powerful armed gangs, and accountability for violence is rare.
Armed men have attacked a group of journalists in Haiti who were covering the reopening of the capital’s largest public hospital.
Although details on casualties are not yet provided by authorities, Reuters reported that two journalists and a police officer were killed in the attack on Tuesday, according to a witness.
The transitional presidential council of Haiti expressed condolences to the victims’ families, especially to the PNH (Haiti’s national police) and the journalists’ associations, promising consequences for the act.
This incident is the latest in a series of disturbances in Haiti due to ongoing political and economic instability, fueling the growth of violent armed gangs since the assassination of former President Jovenel Moise in 2021.
Law enforcement authorities in the country have been struggling to combat the criminal groups, which have taken over approximately 80% of the capital, Port-Au-Prince, causing widespread violence and disruptions to essential services.
The General Hospital, the largest public hospital in the country, had to close in March. Journalists were present on Tuesday morning for the hospital’s reopening when the gunmen attacked around 11am (16:00 GMT).
Government officials had gathered in July to reopen the hospital in downtown Port-Au-Prince, but that event was also targeted by gunfire, leading former Prime Minister Garry Conille to flee.
An unverified video circulating online on Tuesday shows three journalists injured on the floor of the building. A recent United Nations report revealed that only 24% of health facilities in the Port-Au-Prince area are operational.
Johnson “Izo” Andre, a prominent gang leader in the Viv Ansanm coalition, claimed responsibility for the attack in a video posted on social media.
