Gang Raid in Haiti Kills at Least 47 Near Port-au-Prince, UN Reports

A heavily armed gang killed at least 47 people and wounded 22 others in an overnight raid on Kenscoff, a farming community overlooking Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince, the United Nations reported on August 25, 2026.

The attack, which included the burning of homes, prompted anger from residents over the government’s inability to provide protection against repeated deadly assaults. The UN described the incident as among the largest mass killings in Haiti in recent years. More than 50 people were also reported kidnapped in related violence.

Kenscoff lies on the outskirts of the capital in an area that has seen increasing gang activity as armed groups expand control beyond Port-au-Prince. Survivors and local officials called for stronger security measures. The Haitian government has struggled for years to contain the violence that has displaced hundreds of thousands and disrupted basic services.

The raid occurred against a backdrop of ongoing instability. Previous attacks in the region have left communities exposed, with limited presence of national police or international forces. The United Nations has repeatedly warned that the expansion of gang territory threatens remaining pockets of relative safety around the capital.

No group immediately claimed responsibility. Haitian authorities said investigations were under way. The high death toll and reports of mass kidnapping add to a pattern of large-scale assaults that have characterised the security crisis since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021 and the subsequent fragmentation of authority.

International partners have provided limited support for police training and equipment, yet operational capacity remains constrained. Residents of Kenscoff and surrounding areas face the dual pressures of agricultural disruption and direct violence. The UN’s death toll of 47 may rise as search efforts continue.

The attack underscores the difficulty of stabilising Haiti’s security environment. Without effective territorial control by the state, farming communities near the capital remain vulnerable to organised raids that combine killing, arson and abduction.