The United Nations has announced that 13 people, including six children and seven women, who were kidnapped by armed gangs in the Kenscoff area of Haiti last week have been released.
The release came after a deadly attack carried out by an estimated 150 armed gang members in Kenscoff on the night of August 23. According to the UN, at least 47 people were killed, while more than 50 others were kidnapped.
The attackers reportedly opened fire on residents and chased some people who sought refuge inside a Protestant church. The UN said 22 people were killed in the church courtyard, while about a dozen others were killed behind the building.
The violence also forced approximately 2,647 residents to flee their homes for safety in neighbouring communities. Some houses were reportedly set on fire.
Yannig Dussart, UNICEF’s deputy representative in Haiti, described the release of the 13 captives as a rare moment of hope amid the violence affecting the country, particularly its children.
He said the Kenscoff kidnapping was not an isolated incident, warning that children continue to face attacks across Haiti.
Gang Violence Escalates
Haiti has been struggling with widespread gang violence and political instability. At one point, armed groups were estimated to control as much as 90 percent of Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital.
The UN estimates that about 1.47 million people had been displaced by violence in Haiti as of May.
Between April and June alone, approximately 1,408 people were killed and 656 injured in gang-related violence. The UN also documented 326 cases of sexual violence during the same period.
The Haitian government and international security forces have been trying to contain the violence, but armed groups continue to expand their influence.
In April, the first members of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) arrived in Haiti to help dismantle armed groups and restore security.
Following the Kenscoff kidnapping, some gang members reportedly threatened on social media to execute captives if security operations against their organisations continued.
The Haitian government has since deployed additional security forces to Kenscoff in an effort to restore law and order.
During an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, the UN secretary-general’s special representative for Haiti, called for the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining captives.
He said the Kenscoff attack demonstrated that armed gangs still have the capacity to terrorise communities, expand their influence beyond the capital and challenge the authority of the Haitian government.
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