From February 29, 2024, until the end of April, gang warfare pushed everything out of downtown Port-au-Prince, like the powerful backwash of a raging sea. Major institutions and businesses moved into makeshift or poorly maintained spaces, or they simply shut down. Part of the population fled to provincial cities, while others ended up in displaced persons camps. Life had abandoned the city.

On Monday, September 23, 2024, a new picture begins to emerge from Bois Verna to Champ de Mars. Already at the intersection with Duncombe Street, a massive traffic jam stretches all the way to Tifou Crossroads. Small street vendors, roadside garages, a displaced persons camp in the former Ministry of Communication building, and various goods scattered everywhere paint a different scene.