2026-01-23

displaced approximately 6000 additional people since 6 January 2026 bringing the national internally displaced population to roughly 1.4 million representing 12 percent of Haiti's total population. Operations concentrated in Bel-Air, La Saline, Delmas 2, Delmas 4, Delmas 6, Magloire Ambroise Street, and Nazon using explosive-laden drones, heavy demolition equipment, and armored vehicles. Police claimed some downtown areas were downgraded from red to orange security status indicating modest improvements in state presence. However, the intensity of urban combat operations created severe collateral effects on civilian populations and humanitarian infrastructure. Medecins Sans Frontieres suspended activities at its Bel-Air facility after the site was caught in crossfire on 6 January 2026 trapping seven volunteers inside. One former volunteer was killed in related violence. MSF's suspension represents a significant loss of medical capacity in a zone where only approximately 10 percent of health facilities with hospital capacity remain fully operational. The United Nations estimates 4.9 million people require emergency medical assistance nationwide. The combination of facility closures, displacement surges, and ongoing combat operations creates acute gaps in trauma care, maternal health services, and chronic disease management for populations trapped in contested neighborhoods. January 23, 2026 The displacement figures compound pre-existing humanitarian pressures. International Organization for Migration and United Nations assessments recorded the 6000 newly displaced between 6 and 15 January with concentrations in areas surrounding the operational zones. Displaced populations typically shelter with host families straining already limited resources or occupy informal sites lacking water, sanitation, and health services. The timing of large-scale urban operations overlaps with the final days of the Transitional Presidential Council's mandate creating uncertainty about governance continuity for humanitarian coordination and access negotiations. Protection risks including sexual violence, child separation, and exploitation increase substantially in displacement contexts where institutional oversight is weak or absent.