In Port-au-Prince, displaced people receive vital support from IOM psychologists

For several years, Haiti has faced an unprecedented security crisis. In this unstable context, thousands of Haitians have fallen victim to gang violence. Over 700,000 people have been internally displaced, with a quarter of them living in precarious and unsanitary sites, having left behind all their belongings and the lives they had built. 

On July 23, 2024, Madeleine* heard gunshots but paid little attention, as it was not the first time this had happened in Port-au-Prince. However, two days later, armed men invaded her neighborhood, forcing her and her family to flee in haste. During their escape, she witnessed widespread violence until the Tabarre Municipality sent a bus to take them to Lycée Jean-Marie Vincent, which had been converted into a site for internally displaced people. 

Upon arrival at the site with her daughter, two nieces, and grandfather, Madeleine began a new life under extremely difficult conditions. Initially, she stayed outdoors on the grounds until a fellow displaced friend allowed her to settle with her family in a corner of an enclosed space. Finding food for herself and her family proved challenging, and there were times when the children cried from hunger. 

“We left everything behind,” she confided. Madeleine has no spare clothes for herself or her children. The gangs took everything from her, and she could no longer run her shop, which was looted, leaving her without income to support her family. 

Each time she hears a gunshot;, Madeleine is terrified of another attack. Even at the site, she lives in constant fear for her life and that of her family. “It’s rare to have a good day in the camps,” she says, describing the poor living conditions, lack of food, unsanitary environment, and insecurity. In such circumstances, forced cohabitation in precarious and unsanitary conditions fosters an environment ripe for violence and mistreatment among displaced populations. 

Since living at the site, Madeleine has experienced accumulating health issues. She describes “migraines,” “dizziness,” “the urge to run without knowing where to go,” and even feeling “out of her own body” several times. She knows a woman in a similar situation who deteriorated to the point of contemplating suicide. The intervention of psychologists and mutual support at the site helped restore hope and a desire to live. 

Madeleine herself has also had suicidal thoughts. “I must admit that the idea of suicide crossed my mind several times. There were times when I tried to leave the camp and go somewhere alone to end my life. What helped me get through this was the psychologist from IOM.” Thanks to the psychologist’s support, Madeleine says she “found hope again.” While she managed to seek help from a professional, others might find it harder to reach out for help from professionals. 

Some cope with their distress in other ways, such as consuming alcohol. Catherine2, another displaced person, says she feels like she’s “losing her mind.” Struggling to endure her situation and grieve her husband, who was killed by gangs, she has lost her job and now finds herself homeless with her daughters, who face the threat of exploitation. “There are days when I drink alcohol worth 1,000 gourdes in a single day,” she admits. It’s the only way she has found to get through daily life. 

Then there’s Wiesland, a sixty-year-old man who sleeps in flood-soaked places among worms and excrement. He suffers from severe migraines, dizziness, and insomnia and struggles to find food. At times, when suicidal thoughts arise, he seeks someone to talk to because, as he says, “talking to someone feels like forgetting all my frustrations.” Despite the lack of significant improvements in living conditions at the sites, interventions by IOM agents have given him hope and alleviated his fears. Today, he is firmly convinced he will not “go through with it.” 

The testimonies of Madeleine, Catherine, and Wiesland reflect the immense challenges the current situation in Haiti imposes on their health, particularly mental health. Their accounts echo the findings of a report published in March 2024, where IOM emphasized the critical importance of prioritizing mental health care, as its deterioration increases the risk of suicide. 

Suicide prevention measures exist at the community, institutional, and governmental levels. Implementing these measures is essential so that individuals like Madeleine, Catherine, and Wiesland can receive help before it’s too late.