Haiti, the poorest country of the Americas with eight million inhabitants has been plagued by political violence for most of its history. A rebellion forced President Aristide out of the country in 2004. The UN Security Council, by its resolution 1542 of 30 April 2004, decided to establish the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) composed by more than 8,000 troops, led by Brazil. René Preval won presidential elections in February 2006 with 51% of the vote.
Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital city is regularly hit by waves of violence. Large part of the city are controlled by armed groups, specially deprived neighbourhoods such as Martissant and Cité Soleil.

Since December 2006 Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has opened a new project in Martissant a deprived slum of Port-au-Prince where armed groups are fighting among themselves to control the zone. MSF decided to open the project because there were no other health facilities in the whole neighbourhood. The MSF emergency room aims to respond to the local population need in terms of emergency care. Patients wounded by gunshots, by machete, victims of car accidents and general casualties are seen every day by MSF doctors and nurses. Since the beginning of the project MSF has visited more than 1,000 patients.

Patients in need of a second level of care are transferred to other MSF facilities of the city: the trauma centre of La Trinité; the Obstetric Care Hospital of Jude Anne and the St. Catherine Hospital located in Cité Soleil. In the meantime MSF keeps working in the slum of Cité Soleil where the population live trapped in violence and insecurity. Fighting between UN troops and local armed groups erupt regularly. MSF in Cité Soleil support the Hospital of St. Catherine and the primary health centre of Chapi.

All photos by Pep Bonet