A recent gang attack in Kenscoff, a community near Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, resulted in at least 47 deaths and over 50 kidnappings. The United Nations confirmed the casualties, noting that at least five of the deceased were children. This incident is considered one of the largest mass kidnappings in Haiti in recent years. The attack targeted a community that had previously been relatively peaceful, with reports indicating that 22 victims were executed in a church compound where they sought shelter.
Local officials and residents had reportedly made numerous appeals for increased security and government intervention prior to the attack, but these pleas went unanswered. Residents, like Verti Enold-Saint, expressed frustration, stating that adequate police presence or armored vehicles could have prevented the tragedy. Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon also reported that gangs set fire to 25 homes and killed two government employees, including his cousin, who was part of his security detail.
The violence is attributed to the Viv Ansanm gang coalition, which the U.S. government designated as a foreign terrorist organization last year. Gangs now control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince, with Kenscoff being a repeated target. The attack has been widely condemned by both Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé's office and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who highlighted the alarming security conditions in Haiti. The UN estimates that nearly 1.5 million Haitians are displaced, and over five million face severe food insecurity amidst the escalating gang violence.
