The United Nations said that at least 47 people were killed and 22 others injured in an attack by an armed gang on Kenscoff, a mountainous municipality southeast of the Haitian capital.The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti said the casualty figures could change.The Haitian government condemned the "heinous attack" and pledged to strengthen security.The office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime expressed its deep sympathy for the victims and their families in a statement.The Prime Minister’s office said in a social media post that Kenscoff will not be abandoned, and the authorities will restore government authority without hesitation or delay.According to UN estimates, attacks in Kenscoff over a two-month period in early 2025 killed more than 260 people and destroyed or burned 200 homes, forcing 3,000 people to flee. Since then, more than 10 additional attacks have taken place, involving kidnappings, arson and livestock theft.Powerful gangs belonging to a broad alliance have strengthened their grip on the capital, Port-au-Prince, over the years and expanded their control into neighboring areas, despite efforts by foreign countries to bolster Haiti’s police forces, which suffer from a shortage of weapons.Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas and has long suffered from political, economic and security crises. However, the situation deteriorated sharply in recent years as gang violence escalated to include killings, kidnappings, rape and the recruitment of children.Around 1.5 million people, out of a population of approximately 11 million, have been internally displaced by the violence, according to estimates published by the International Organization for Migration in June, which noted that the attacks were not confined to the capital.A UN-backed force is currently being assembled to crack down on the gangs and support local police forces, which have become incapable of coping with the situation.
