Current:Home > MarketsHospital director in Haiti says a gang stormed in and took women and children hostage-LoTradeCoin
Hospital director in Haiti says a gang stormed in and took women and children hostage
View Date:2024-12-24 07:32:48
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A heavily armed gang burst into a hospital in Haiti on Wednesday and took hostage women, children and newborns, according to the director of the medical center who pleaded for help via social media.
Jose Ulysse, founder and director of the Fontaine Hospital Center in the sprawling Cite Soleil slum in the capital of Port-au-Prince, confirmed the incident in a brief message exchange with The Associated Press. “We are in great difficulty,” he said.
Ulysse said on social media that “hundreds” of patients at the hospital were taken hostage, but the number could not immediately be confirmed. No further details were available, and it was not clear why the assailants may have taken patients hostage. Ulysse did not respond to further questions for comment.
A spokesman for Haiti’s National Police did not immediately return a message for comment.
The hospital is considered an oasis and a lifeline in a community overrun by gangs that have unleashed increasingly violent attacks against each other, with civilians who live in Cite Soleil routinely raped, beaten or killed.
Ulysse identified those responsible as members of the Brooklyn gang, led by Gabriel Jean-Pierre, best known as “Ti Gabriel.” Jean-Pierre also is the leader of a powerful gang alliance known as G-Pep, one of two rival coalitions in Haiti.
The Brooklyn gang has some 200 members and controls certain communities within Cite Soleil including Brooklyn. They are involved in extortion, hijacking of goods and general violence against civilians, according to a recent U.N. report.
“The G-Pep coalition and its allies strongly reinforced cooperation and diversified their revenues, in particular by committing kidnapping for ransom, which has enabled them to strengthen their fighting capacity,” the report stated.
When The Associated Press visited the Fontaine Hospital Center earlier this year, Ulysse said in an interview that gangs had targeted him personally twice before.
Gangs across Haiti have continued to grow more powerful since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, and the number of kidnappings and killings keep rising.
Earlier this year, at least 20 armed gang members burst into a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders and snatched a patient from an operating room. The criminals gained access after faking a life-threatening emergency, the organization said.
___
Associated Press reporter Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico contributed.
veryGood! (1)
Related
- Birth control and abortion pill requests have surged since Trump won the election
- Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy Slams Zach Bryan in Diss Track After Brianna LaPaglia Split
- Five NFL teams that could surge in second half of season: Will Jets, 49ers rise?
- Watch wild moment raccoon falls from ceiling in LaGuardia Airport terminal
- The Latin Grammys are almost here for a 25th anniversary celebration
- GOP flips 2 US House seats in Pennsylvania, as Republican Scott Perry wins again
- Watch wild moment raccoon falls from ceiling in LaGuardia Airport terminal
- AI ProfitPulse, Ushering in a New Era of Blockchain and AI
- Florida State can't afford to fire Mike Norvell -- and can't afford to keep him
- Judge blocks larger home permits for tiny community of slave descendants pending appeal
Ranking
- Solawave Black Friday Sale: Don't Miss Buy 1, Get 1 Free on Age-Defying Red Light Devices
- From Innovation to Ascendancy: Roland Quisenberry and WH Alliance Propel the Future of Finance
- Olympic Australian Breakdancer Raygun Announces Retirement After “Upsetting” Criticism
- Starbucks holiday menu 2024 returns with new refreshers, food items: See the full menu
- Threat closes Spokane City Hall and cancels council meeting in Washington state
- Jeopardy! Contestant Speaks Out on Sexist Clue After Ken Jennings' Apology
- 49ers DE Nick Bosa says MAGA hat stunt was 'well worth' likely fine
- Florida awards Billy Napier a flimsy vote of confidence, as Gators crumble under his watch
Recommendation
-
Michelle Obama Is Diving Back into the Dating World—But It’s Not What You Think
-
Best Holiday Gifts for Women: Shop Beauty, Jewelry, Athleisure, & More
-
Jeopardy! Contestant Speaks Out on Sexist Clue After Ken Jennings' Apology
-
'They are family': California girl wins $300,000 settlement after pet goat seized, killed
-
Bo the police K-9, who located child taken at knifepoint, wins Hero Dog Awards 2024
-
Ten of thousands left without power as winter storm rolls over New Mexico
-
Outer Banks Just Killed Off a Major Character During Intense Season 4 Finale
-
Opinion: Mourning Harris' loss? Here's a definitive list of her best campaign performers.