Residents Flee Violence in Port-au-Prince as Gang Conflict Escalates
Port-au-Prince residents flee homes to escape armed gang clashes on Monday, May 11, 2026 (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph). A high-priority image captures the turmoil. POR RESIDENTS ESCAPING VIOLENCE IN HAITI CAPITAL AS GANG CONFLICT INTENSIFIES Roselaine Jean-Pierre, 67, among dozens gathering in Cit Soleil intersection, holding tree branches demanding police intervention despite nearby gunfire. "Nothing deserved this," said Jean-Pierre, fleeing her home Sunday now sleeping on Puerto Príncipe streets. Witnesses reported seeing murders in Cit Soleil where burned cars and dead cattle were observed. Haitian authorities have not disclosed casualties. Michel-Ange Toussaint briefly returned to Cit Soleil to collect clothing items before fleeing again. RELATED STORIES [Link to full article about Philippine senator arrest attempt] [Image of Senator Ronald dela Rosa addressing journalists at Senate, Pasay, Philippines, May 13, 2026] [Link to article about UK government speech by King Charles III] [Image of King Charles III and Queen Camilla opening Parliament in London, May 13, 2026] [Link to article about Israeli drone attacks killing eight including children south Beirut] [Image of vehicle engulfed in flames after Israeli drone strike near Barja, Lebanon] [Link to article about renewed drone attacks in southern Lebanon] [Image showing injured person in burning car following Israeli drone attack] Indicate that civilian attacks began Sunday evening prompting mass displacement. Police claim gangs control approximately 70% of capital; criminal activities expanded nationwide including abductions, assaults, sexual violence. No Haitian president since Magnicide. MEDICAL EVACUATION FOLLOWS HOSPITAL CLOSURE IN CIT SOLEIL Centre Hospitalier de Fontaine suspended operations due to Sunday violence outbreak requiring evacuation of all patients including eleven newborns. April saw first UN peacekeeping contingent arrive to help contain ongoing violence. UN Security Council approved authorization plan for 5,550-member force still incomplete deployment ongoing primarily Chad nationals. International Organization for Migration report indicates gang violence displaced over 1.4 million Haitians with approximately 200,000 currently residing in overcrowded inadequate conditions within capital city. ___ This story was translated from English by AP editor assisted by generative AI technology.
