PIH Statement on Violence in Mirebalais

On Monday, March 31, armed gangs stormed into Mirebalais, Haiti, and attacked and set fire to buildings throughout the town before security forces arrived. While Partners In Health-supported Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais (HUM) has not been attacked at this time, the violence is ongoing and continues to present an unacceptable risk for our patients and staff.

The safety and well-being of both staff and patients is our highest priority, which is why on Wednesday, April 2 we began evacuating patients and staff from HUM and have temporarily suspended services at the hospital until the safety of staff and patients is no longer threatened by the ongoing attacks against the town of Mirebalais.

For the past decade, whenever someone has fallen sick or a disaster has struck Haiti, HUM has proudly stood as a place where anyone, no matter their background or income, could get access to the free, high-quality health care that they deserve. The tenacity of our colleagues throughout this incredibly challenging period has been a beacon of hope for the people of Haiti and served as the physical manifestation of our organization’s commitment to serving as an antidote to despair.

“While these brutal attacks have forced us to pause services at HUM due to the unacceptable risk they pose for our staff and patients, we will reopen the hospital as soon as it is safe to do so,” said Dr. Sheila Davis, CEO of Partners In Health. “PIH began in Haiti, and our core values of solidarity and accompaniment emerged from our work with Haitian communities. No matter how daunting the challenges of this particular moment have seemed, our Haitian colleagues have never wavered or indulged in the luxury of pessimism, and I couldn’t be more proud to say that our organization will continue to stand with the people of Haiti today, tomorrow, and long into the future.”

“This hospital has stood strong through many of Haiti’s hardest moments. While current threats have forced a pause in services, our commitment remains unshaken. We will return—stronger and ready to care for our people—when it is safe to do so,” said Dr. Wesler Lambert, executive director of Zanmi Lasante, as PIH is known in Haiti. “In the meantime, PIH/ZL will continue their clinical operations at other institutions in the network, where patients have been transferred and HUM staff reallocated.”

HUM is a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of Haitians, providing critical medical care, including emergency services, maternal care, infectious disease treatment, and surgical interventions. PIH is continuing to closely monitor the evolving situation and working with ZL leadership, local authorities, and partners on plans to resume operations at HUM and continue to provide lifesaving care to those who need it most across Haiti.