An armed gang stormed the Kenscoff community, located on high ground near Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, shooting and setting fire to residents' homes. The attack left at least 47 people dead and 22 injured. Residents accused the government and police of failing to protect them after repeated gang attacks in the area.
Officials reported at least 47 deaths and 22 injuries from the armed gang attack on the Kenscoff community, situated on a hill overlooking the access routes to Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, on the evening of Sunday, 23 August. The United Nations indicated the death toll may rise due to difficulties in accessing the area and communication challenges.
The attack began around 10:30 p.m. local time, when assailants entered the community, set homes ablaze, and killed residents, including Dr. Jean William Pape, a renowned public health expert and founder of an NGO assisting HIV and tuberculosis patients. Footage from the scene showed locals searching for family members and victims lying in the streets, some wrapped in blood-stained cloths.
Haitian human rights groups reported an estimated 30 to 40 deaths and 15 to 20 injuries, while the mayor of Kenscoff said the exact death toll could not yet be confirmed.
Many residents accused state officials of failing to protect them, despite the police station being just minutes from the attack site, and called for the local police chief's resignation. Some said that if the police were better equipped, including with armored vehicles, the massacre might have been prevented.
Haitian authorities condemned the incident as a "brutal attack," announcing reinforcements would be sent to the area and affirming that "Kenscoff will not be abandoned." The national police chief confirmed that police are continuing to fight armed gangs and have not abandoned their duties.
Kenscoff is a strategic area because it lies above the access route to the Petion-Ville district, home to embassies, luxury hotels, and the interim government offices, as well as key routes connecting Port-au-Prince with southern parts of the country.
This area has faced nearly ten gang attacks since last year, especially during the first two months of 2025, with over 260 deaths, more than 200 homes destroyed or burned, and approximately 3,000 people displaced. Reports also include incidents of rape, kidnapping, arson, and livestock theft.
The mayor of Kenscoff blamed the Viv Ansanm group, an alliance of several armed gangs, for the attack. The U.S. government designated this group as a foreign terrorist organization last year.
The latest violence has heightened concerns about Haiti's planned elections on 13 December, the first in over a decade, which have been repeatedly postponed due to insecurity and the influence of armed gangs.
United Nations data shows that gang violence has displaced around 1.5 million Haitians, with over 3,100 deaths and 1,189 injuries nationwide between January and June of this year.
Meanwhile, the UN-backed gang crackdown force aims to increase its personnel to over 5,500 by this fall to assist Haitian police in confronting armed groups. However, it remains unclear whether this force will directly reinforce security in Kenscoff.
. SourceReuters/Associated Press