CLIO Communiqué – #Not Targets: Let’s Preserve Humanitarian Space

CLIO Communiqué – #Not Targets: Let’s Preserve Humanitarian Space
Port au Prince, 11 avril 2025
We express our deep concern about the recent escalation of violence against civilians and strongly
condemn the recent attack on Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). As a reminder, on March 15, 2025,
an MSF convoy was targeted during an evacuation between its Emergency Center in Turgeau and
its trauma hospital in Carrefour, which was intended to protect its staff and patients. An attack
against a humanitarian organization affects the entire humanitarian community. These new acts of
violence against a humanitarian organization jeopardize not only the safety of humanitarian
personnel but also access to vital services for thousands of people in need.
Humanitarian organizations play a crucial role in the current context in Haiti, particularly in Port-au-Prince, where living conditions are rapidly deteriorating. Since the beginning of the year, more
than 183,000 people have been displaced by armed violence and require immediate humanitarian
assistance, including healthcare, food, clean water, shelter, and protection.
We remind all parties involved that humanitarian action is based on four fundamental principles:

• Humanity: Alleviate human suffering wherever it occurs.
• Neutrality: Do not take sides in hostilities or in political, racial, religious, or ideological
controversies.
• Impartiality: Provide assistance based on need, without discrimination.
• Independence: Act independently of political, economic, military, or other objectives.

Any attack or threat against humanitarian personnel and infrastructure further restricts the
humanitarian space, hampering the ability of all actors to respond effectively. This situation
seriously compromises the humanitarian response to populations in need and risks further
exacerbating an already catastrophic crisis. We call on all armed actors and authorities to fully
respect humanitarian space, guarantee the safety of humanitarian personnel and infrastructure,
and allow unhindered access to aid for affected populations.
Without this space for action and in the absence of respect for humanitarian law, it will not be
possible to effectively respond to the immediate and growing humanitarian needs in Haiti.
About CLIO:
The Inter-NGO Liaison Framework (CLIO) is a coordination platform for NGOs in Haiti, aiming to strengthen the effectiveness of humanitarian aid and development through information sharing and collaboration between humanitarian actors. (Click here to download the PDF version of the press release)