Mass attack on Haitian hospital kills 2 journalists and 1 police officer: NPR

Two journalists were killed and several others injured in Haiti on Tuesday in a mob attack over the reopening of Port-au-Prince’s largest public hospital, the country’s online media association said. A police officer was also killed in the attack.

Street gangs forced the closure of a general hospital earlier this year, and authorities had promised to reopen the hospital in Haiti’s capital on Christmas Eve. But when journalists gathered to cover the incident, suspected gang members opened fire.

It was the latest incident of violence in Haiti, which has been paralyzed by an unprecedented crisis of organized gang attacks on prisons, police stations and the main international airport.

Online Media Collective spokesperson Robest Dimanche identified the slain journalists as Markenzie Nathu and Jimmy Jean. Dimanche said an unspecified number of journalists also took part in the attack, which he blamed on the Viv Ansam gang.

The Haitian Association of Journalists confirmed that two journalists and a police officer were killed and seven journalists were injured in what it described as a “monstrous scene that amounts to terrorism, pure and simple.”

Haiti’s interim president Leslie Voltaire said in an address to the nation that journalists and police were also victims of the attack. He did not give details on the number or breakdown of casualties.

“I would like to express my condolences to the victims, the national police and journalists,” Voltaire said.

The government later issued a statement saying it was “responsive to the attack.”

“This heinous act targeting an institution dedicated to health and life is an unacceptable attack on the very foundations of our society,” the statement said.

Earlier, a video posted online by reporters trapped inside the hospital showed two lifeless bodies of men on stretchers, their clothes covered in blood. One of the men had a lanyard around his neck with a press pass attached.

Radio Tele Metronome initially reported that seven journalists and two police officers were injured. Police and authorities did not immediately respond to calls for information about the attack.

Another video posted online, which could not be immediately seen, showed reporters inside the building and at least three people lying injured on the floor.

Street gangs have taken over an estimated 85% of Port-au-Prince and have also targeted a major international airport and Haiti’s two largest prisons.

Johnson “Izzo” Andre, a member of the Viv Ansamme gang, considered the most powerful gang leader in Haiti and controlling much of Port-au-Prince, posted a video on social media claiming responsibility for the attack. did.

In the video, the gang coalition said they were not allowing the hospital to reopen.

Journalists have been targeted before in Haiti. In 2023, two local journalists were murdered within a few weeks of each other. Radio reporter Dumeski Carsaint was shot to death in mid-April of the same year, and journalist Rico Jean was found dead later that month.

In July, former Prime Minister Garry Conille visited the National University Hospital of Haiti, widely known as the General Hospital, after authorities regained control of the hospital from gangsters.

The hospital was ransacked and debris was scattered. There were numerous bullet holes in the walls and nearby buildings, signs of a conflict between police and gangs. The hospital is located opposite the National Palace, where several battles have taken place in recent months.

Gang attacks have brought Haiti’s healthcare system to the brink of collapse, with looting, arson and the destruction of medical institutions and pharmacies in the capital. The number of patients is rapidly increasing due to violence, and resources for treatment are insufficient.

Haiti’s health system faces additional challenges during the rainy season, which can increase the risk of waterborne diseases. Poor conditions in camps and makeshift settlements increase the risk of diseases such as cholera, with more than 84,000 suspected cases in the country, according to UNICEF.