PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC -The international, independent medical humanitarian organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has made an urgent call for stakeholders, including the Haitian government, United Nations agencies, and donors, to provide a strong, coordinated response to deal with the increase of sexual violence in the country.
In a report titled “Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Port-au-Prince”, based on 10 years of medical data and testimonies collected at the Pran Men’m clinic, MSF provided medical and psychosocial care to nearly 17,000 people, 98 per cent of whom were women and girls.
“Since 2021, the number of victims of sexual violence treated at the clinic has almost tripled, rising from an average of 95 admissions per month in 2021 to more than 250 in 2025,” said Diana Manilla Arroyo, MSF’s Head of Mission in Haiti.
MSF said that women and girls face a horrifying reality in Haiti amid a humanitarian crisis marked by widespread violence and displacement.
“As armed groups battle government forces for control of key territories and infrastructure, they are attacking women and girls in increasingly brutal ways. Acts of sexual and gender-based violence, or SGBV, have surged since 2022 and have become a tactic for spreading terror in the population. “
MSF said that in Port-au-Prince, survivors endure this violence in a setting where years of conflict have degraded infrastructure, public services, and living conditions. It said many lack access to medical care, are displaced from their homes, and face immense barriers to finding support and rebuilding their lives.
Within this context, MSF said it operates the Pran Men’m clinic in Port-au-Prince to provide free, comprehensive medical and psychosocial care to SGBV survivors. Opened in 2015, the clinic serves as a vital lifeline, having cared for 16,999 people as of September 2025.
Since 2022, rising insecurity has contributed to a tripling in the number of SGBV patients who receive care at the clinic, and an increasingly complex environment for survivors and service providers.
MSF said it “is alarmed and outraged” by the overwhelming level of sexual and gender-based violence in Haiti, noting that among the survivors who received care at Pran Men’m since 2022, at least 57 per cent were attacked by members of armed groups, often through group assault committed by multiple perpetrators.
Over 100 individuals were attacked by 10 or more perpetrators at a time. Acts of sexual violence increasingly involve firearms and occur during broader attacks against entire families and communities.
“Women and girls of all ages are being targeted, and a growing number of survivors are displaced, which exposes them to more violence, homelessness, and poverty. Nearly one-fifth of survivors who receive care at Pran Men’m have experienced SGBV multiple times.”
MSF said that Pran Men’s clinic is one of the very few providers offering free, integrated medical and psychosocial care for survivors in Port-au-Prince, and it cannot address these atrocities alone.
MSF said it is often unable to refer survivors to essential nonmedical supports, notably safe shelter, relocation, and livelihood assistance, which are key parts of comprehensive care. Referrals to shelters are especially difficult because shelter services are often disrupted due to unstable funding, and because women who have medical conditions or children, or who are pregnant, are usually not accepted.
MSF said that survivors also face increasing barriers to accessing care, which can lead to significant medical consequences.
“Since 2022, only a third of survivors seeking care at Pran Men’m reached the clinic within three days of their attack, and only 41 per cent reached it within five days. As a result, 67 per cent of survivors missed the opportunity to prevent HIV transmission, and 59 per cent missed the chance to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. These delays are due to multiple factors, including fear, stigma, financial challenges, insecurity, and limited access to information.”
MSF said it is witnessing the devastating impact of SGBV every day and is calling urgently for a strong, coordinated response from the Haitian government, service providers, donors, UN agencies, and those responsible for providing security to Haitians.
“We ask for rights, dignity, accountability, and support for survivors and demand concrete action to meet rising needs for health and support services at this critical time,” MSF added.
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