Dominican hospitals face surge of Haitian mothers fleeing conflict

[Pelican Press 0]

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Dominican hospitals face surge of Haitian mothers fleeing conflict

STORY: As gang violence in Haiti continues to escalate, access to healthcare is slipping out of reach for most people.

For Haitian mothers, like Cineas Lionne, that means seeking care at hospitals in neighboring Dominican Republic.

“Would I have a child in Haiti? No I would not. I had my child here. I don’t know what the care is really like in Haitian hospitals. I don’t think I would receive good care because of the government situation. There is no government in Haiti. There is no ruler; our hospitals will never treat us well.”

Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean but are divided by a heavily secured border, long-standing tensions and an immense wealth gap.

In Haiti, the healthcare system has been pushed to the brink.

A U.N. report in October said less than a quarter of hospitals around Port-au-Prince are currently operational.

:: Bazil Jephte

That assessment came before a spike in violence in late 2024 that saw gangs shoot and kill journalists gathered at Haiti’s largest public hospital.

They had been there for a government press conference meant to announce a long-awaited reopening.

Those plans have been put on hold.

:: WFP

The capital’s airport and ports have repeatedly been forced to shut down, prompting hospitals to warn of a lack of supplies such as blood and oxygen.

But while the Dominican Republic offers Haitian mothers access to relatively better healthcare, it comes with significant risks.

The country deported over 200,000 Haitians in 2024 and nearly 15,000 in the first two weeks of 2025 alone.

Authorities have pledged to continue deporting up to 10,000 people per week to manage the influx of migrants.

Dominican politicians argue that the country lacks the resources to support the large number of Haitian migrants.

Local doctors said many Haitian women are afraid to attend prenatal checkups and tend to arrive late at night or when they are about to give birth, due to the risk of deportation.

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