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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Haiti Wire) — The director of Haiti’s State University Hospital (HUEH) is calling for its temporary relocation after an armed group set fire to the facility, leaving the country’s largest medical center in ruins.
Dr. Prince Sonson Pierre, HUEH’s executive director, said the hospital cannot continue operating in an area controlled by gangs. He urged the government to take immediate action to secure a new location so that critical medical services can resume.
HUEH, known locally as ‘Lopital Jeneral’ or General Hospital, has faced multiple attacks and lootings over the past months. However, this is the first time the hospital has been set on fire. The attack, carried out by an armed group within the “Viv Ansanm” coalition, comes just weeks after a similar assault on Bernard Mevs Hospital, another key healthcare facility in Port-au-Prince.
Footage circulating on social media shows flames engulfing parts of the hospital complex. Dr. Pierre confirmed the fire and said he had contacted authorities to prevent further destruction. However, with gang activity making the area nearly inaccessible, assessing the full extent of the damage remains difficult.
Dr. Pierre emphasized that relocating the hospital is the only viable solution while authorities work to regain control of the area. He noted that much of the hospital’s equipment was destroyed in the fire, but fortunately, new medical supplies intended for recently constructed buildings had not yet been installed.
The hospital, which provides specialized services such as thoracic and vascular surgery, dialysis, and medical training, is crucial to Haiti’s healthcare system. Its closure has disrupted the education of medical interns, many of whom have already lost a year of training.
Pierre plans to submit formal recommendations to the Ministry of Health, urging swift measures to reopen hospital services in a safer location.
HUEH’s destruction highlights a growing crisis in Haiti’s healthcare system, where armed groups have increasingly targeted hospitals. The attack comes just two months after gangs fired shots at the hospital, killing two journalists and injuring four others.
The area surrounding HUEH on Monseigneur Guilloux Street has become a ghost town, as gang violence has forced residents and businesses to flee. Many fear that without urgent government intervention, Haiti could lose one of its most vital medical institutions permanently.
