Haiti gang raid death toll rises to 47 as more than 50 kidnapped, says UN

What the report says

The United Nations says at least 47 people were killed, more than 50 were kidnapped and 22 others were injured in a gang attack in Kenscoff, a hillside town near Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Al Jazeera reported that the assault took place on the evening of August 23 and was condemned by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who said it highlighted the worsening security crisis in Haiti and the need for stronger Haitian and international action against gangs.

According to the report, local officials described armed men setting homes on fire, attacking a church and targeting the residence of a prominent public health expert. Kenscoff’s mayor said the violence caused chaos, while the UN office in Haiti said the casualty figures could still change. The attack is being described as one of the largest mass kidnappings in the country in recent years.

Residents told journalists they were furious with authorities, accusing police of failing to protect the community despite the town’s proximity to a police station. Haiti’s government called the assault heinous and said it would reinforce security, while the prime minister’s office pledged that Kenscoff would not be abandoned.

The article places the attack in the wider context of Haiti’s prolonged gang violence, which has spread beyond Port-au-Prince and continues to undermine public safety and political stability as the country tries to move toward long-delayed elections.