Overview:
Clashes between armed groups in the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac, near Port-au-Prince, continued on April 20, 2026, with gunfire reaching the perimeter of Toussaint Louverture International Airport and forcing the temporary suspension of Sunrise Airways flight operations, The incident comes amid a broader escalation of gang violence across the metropolitan area, where rival factions are engaged in renewed territorial battles, displacing residents and trapping others inside their homes under heavy gunfire.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Gunfire reached the perimeter of Toussaint Louverture International Airport on Monday, forcing the temporary suspension of flights as clashes between armed groups escalated in areas near Plaine du Cul-de-Sac, located just northeast of Haiti’s capital.
A bullet struck a window in the airport, prompting Sunrise Airways to temporarily halt operations for a few hours during the day, according to company officials.
For now, passengers will have to wait for new dates following the suspension of flights to and from Port-au-Prince.
“There were gunshots at the airport. Flights are suspended for the day,” communications director of Sunrise Airways Stéphanie Armand told The Haitian Times. “Sunrise Airways continues to closely monitor the situation in coordination with the relevant authorities and will provide updates as soon as conditions allow for the safe resumption of operations.”
By mid-afternoon, however, all seemed to be under control at the nearby Guy Malary Terminal, where local flights continued to operate normally.
Images circulating on social media show a bullet impact that struck a window at Toussaint Louverture International Airport.
The incident comes as calls grow to resume commercial flights amid U.S. authorities’ extension of the ban on flights to Port-au-Prince until September 2026 due to ongoing insecurity.
The ban, initially set to expire in March, was prolonged as gang violence continues to grip the capital, where armed groups control 90% of the territory, according to the United Nations. The insecurity has also spread beyond Port-au-Prince, affecting other regions such as Artibonite, the Centre and the Southeast.
Residents trapped as fighting spreads
The fighting is centered in the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac, where rival gangs have been exchanging heavy gunfire for days.
Residents in several neighborhoods say they have been unable to leave their homes and fear for their lives. Since the week of April 13, residents of nearby areas, including Duvivier, Marin, Fuji, Blancha, Terre Noire, and Sarthe, trapped in the middle of the fighting, have tried to escape through the woods.
“There is no going out or moving around in the streets for now. The only option is to stay sheltered, because the moment you step outside, you risk being shot,” a resident who has not yet had the chance to flee told The Haitian Times over the phone.
A family of four, who fled gang clashes in the Sarthe area of the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac, paused at the Champ-de-Mars public square in Port-au-Prince before continuing their journey to the commune of Carrefour on Monday, April 20, 2026. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times.
Others have fled, leaving behind belongings as they try to reach safer areas.
Families displaced from Sarthe and nearby communities were seen resting at Champ-de-Mars before continuing toward the neighborhood of Carrefour.
“It’s a matter of survival; we all must face it one day,” replies another woman in the group, who says she fled from the Sarthe locality, controlled by gang leader Claudy “Chen mechan” Célestin.
“The gunfire hasn’t stopped. They are on the bridge exchanging heavy gunfire, we are staying hidden behind our walls,” said another resident of the Fuji area.
The Croix-des-Missions bridge has become a key front line, with civilians caught in the middle.
Those who stayed in these neighborhoods continue to issue distress calls to the Haitian National Police (PNH), which is struggling to intervene and provide assistance.
Old rivalries resurface despite police pressure and incoming international forces
This new wave of violence comes as Haitian police struggle to contain armed groups and as international support begins to take shape.
The latest clashes involve gangs that were once allied under the “Viv Ansanm” coalition but have now turned against each other. Members of the Chen Mechan gang and allies in Canaan are fighting groups based in Duvivier and Pyè 6, according to residents in the Cul-de-Sac Plain.
The fighting continues even as the country prepares for the deployment of the Gang Suppression Force to support the national police.
On Monday, Chad’s president, Mahamat Idriss Déby, said his country plans to send 1,500 soldiers, adding to an initial GSF contingent already deployed earlier this month.
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