The armed conflict in Port-au-Prince has displaced over a million people, many multiple times. 65% of these internal displacements have been recorded within the Haitian capital (Port-au-Prince Metropolitan Area, ZMPP), with around twenty new improvised camps emerging in just two weeks in November.
With a shortage of temporary shelters, schools, public institutions, and local communities have been stepping in to welcome these displaced people and offer a minimum of stability and safety to the most vulnerable people. However, this response remains fragile in a country that has endured a multifaceted crisis for several years, leaving nearly 85% of the territory of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area under the control of organised criminal groups, according to local authorities.
In 2025, food insecurity is expected to reach a critical level in Haiti, affecting 49% of the population, about 5.5 million people, according to the National Coordination of Food Security (CNSA). Living conditions in displacement sites remain precarious, with limited access to food, clean water, and healthcare. Of the health facilities with beds in the ZMPP, only 41% are fully functional. According to local authorities, children and women are the most affected by this situation. Health authorities have even reported suspected cases of epidemic diseases across the country, also fearing the spread of diseases in IDP sites.
Mobile Clinics Ensuring Access to Healthcare
Present on the island after the 2010 earthquake, until 2012, ALIMA resumed its operations in Haiti in February 2024 to support populations severely impacted by the humanitarian crisis, despite the challenges posed by widespread violence.
ALIMA provides free medicines and has deployed three mobile clinics across 12 strategic locations in the municipalities of Port-au-Prince and Delmas, as well as five vulnerable neighbourhoods in the municipality of Cité-Soleil.
With financial backing from partners such as ECHO, CDCS, and IOM*, ALIMA’s three mobile clinics have already treated 15,779 people (end of January 2025), including 2,027 children under five, who are often the most at risk of food insecurity and disease.
Each mobile clinic consists of a multidisciplinary team, including a doctor, nurse, midwife, nursing assistant, psychologist, and psychosocial worker. They provide services such as general medical consultations, prenatal and postnatal care, support for survivors of sexual violence, as well as psychological and mental health support for patients.
“ALIMA has returned to offer its medical expertise to the Haitian population. By deploying our mobile clinics in a highly volatile context, we are able to bring healthcare closer to the people, thanks to support from our financial partners and the acceptance of local communities. This facilitates access to healthcare and supports the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) in its efforts to reopen healthcare facilities.”
Virginie Vialas, ALIMA’s Head of Mission in Haiti
Maternity Hospital Reopens with ALIMA’s Support
Another major concern is the shortage of maternal and childcare services in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. To address this issue, ALIMA is working closely with the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) and operational hospitals, such as Fontaine Hospital, Eliazar Germain Hospital, and La Paix University Hospital, to ensure comprehensive patient care.
Thanks to ALIMA’s support, one of Haiti’s largest maternity hospitals, Isaïe Jeanty Hospital (also known as Chancerelles Hospital), reopened on 2 December 2024. This hospital had been closed since 29 February 2024 due to the violence affecting the capital. Located in Cité Soleil, a municipality of 26 neighbourhoods and considered the largest slum in Port-au-Prince, the area has a population of 300,000 with few functional structures. The available healthcare centres are private, forcing residents to pay more to access health services.
The reopening of the maternity ward is an important milestone, especially for pregnant women who can now give birth under safer conditions. To facilitate this reopening, ALIMA’s team in Haiti provided medical supplies, equipment, and training for healthcare staff to improve patient care. Less than eight days after the hospital’s reopening, the first baby was born at Chancerelles with the assistance of Dr Ousmane, ALIMA’s Medical Coordinator in Haiti. Dr Ousmane highlights that this will allow mothers and their newborns to have better access to care, amid an ongoing, difficult crisis.
“Maternal healthcare services are not only a human right, but a fundamental pillar for building resilient communities. In Haiti, where humanitarian challenges intertwine with medical emergencies, ALIMA is committed to protecting the lives of mothers and newborns every day. From mobile clinics to safe delivery rooms, we are taking action to provide emergency obstetric care, train local actors, and break the cycle of inequality. Every woman deserves a safe pregnancy, and every child deserves the chance to live. Together, we turn hope into action, one birth at a time.”
Dr Ousmane, ALIMA’s Medical Coordinator in Haiti
Empowering Communities for a Sustainable Response
At the heart of ALIMA’s intervention strategy in Haiti is community training, a key pillar to build local capacity and ensure the sustainability of medical interventions. Communities play a central role in driving their own development. Thus, ALIMA implements training programmes focused on two main areas:
- Public health awareness: Promoting good hygiene, sanitation, and disease prevention practices for infectious diseases such as cholera, malaria, and malnutrition.
- Training community health workers: ALIMA trains local volunteers to detect early signs of serious illness, refer patients to health facilities, and provide medical follow-up.
Dr Dupiche Daniel, ALIMA’s head of external activities, explains: “The 30 community workers who benefited from these training modules were identified with the agreement of the Ministry of Public Health across all intervention sites. Each area has three workers: a health worker, a psychological first aid worker, and a community leader.”
In one year, ALIMA’s efforts have made it possible to provide life-saving healthcare to thousands of vulnerable people, despite the extremely unstable security situation. ALIMA aims to improve disease detection rates, reduce disease-related mortality, and empower populations to tackle health challenges. By enhancing local skills and promoting mutual support, these actions contribute to strengthening access to healthcare and community resilience.
*ALIMA’s mobile clinics are funded by ECHO, CDCS, IOM, for the year 2024.
Cover picture : © ALIMA
