At least 47 people have been killed and 22 others injured in an attack by an armed gang in Kenscoff, a mountainous municipality southeast of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, the United Nations has said.
The UN Integrated Office in Haiti said the casualty figures could change as authorities continue to assess the impact of the violence.
The Haitian government condemned what it described as a “heinous attack” and pledged to strengthen security in the affected area.
The office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime expressed sympathy for those killed and injured and their families. In a social media statement, the Prime Minister’s office said Kenscoff would not be abandoned and that authorities would work to restore government control.
The latest attack adds to a long-running pattern of violence in Kenscoff. According to UN estimates, more than 260 people were killed during attacks in the municipality over a two-month period in early 2025. Around 200 homes were destroyed or burned, forcing approximately 3,000 people to flee their homes.
Since then, the area has experienced more than 10 additional attacks involving kidnappings, arson and livestock theft.
Gang violence has spread well beyond Port-au-Prince as powerful armed groups have expanded their territorial control. Several gangs are part of a broad alliance that has strengthened its hold over the capital and surrounding communities.
Efforts by foreign governments to support Haiti’s police have struggled to contain the violence. The national police face shortages of weapons and other resources while confronting heavily armed criminal groups.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has endured years of political, economic and security instability. The situation has deteriorated sharply in recent years as gang violence has expanded to include killings, kidnappings, sexual violence and the recruitment of children.
The crisis has also triggered a major displacement emergency. About 1.5 million people, out of Haiti’s population of roughly 11 million, have been forced from their homes, according to estimates published by the International Organization for Migration in June.
The organisation said displacement was no longer limited to the capital, with violence affecting communities in other parts of the country.
A UN-backed security force is now being assembled to help confront armed gangs and support Haitian police. The force is intended to strengthen security operations as local authorities struggle to regain control of areas dominated by criminal groups.
The latest bloodshed in Kenscoff highlights the continuing d
