47 killed in Haiti gang attack

At least 47 people have been killed in a gang attack in Haiti.

At least 47 people were killed and 22 others injured in a nighttime attack by gangs on a neighborhood near the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, the United Nations said, adding to public anger over a series of deadly attacks.

The UN’s integrated office in Haiti said the death toll could rise. The mountainous Kenscoff neighborhood, located on a major road leading to the capital, has been the scene of dozens of attacks by armed gangs since 2025, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.

For years, powerful gangs, united in a broad coalition, have wielded influence in Haiti. While foreign countries have tried to strengthen the local police, criminal groups continue to expand their control in the capital and surrounding areas.

According to the Haitian human rights organization RNDDH, the attack, which began around 10:30 p.m. local time, killed between 30 and 40 people and injured 15 to 20 others. The organization noted that it was difficult to calculate the exact number of victims.

The Haitian government called the attack a barbaric attack and promised to increase security. However, residents said that people were killed just a few minutes from the police station and demanded the resignation of the local police chief.

The prime minister's office wrote on social media: "Kenskoff will not be left unattended. Government authority and order will be restored without hesitation or delay."

The UN estimates that more than 260 people were killed and 200 homes were destroyed or burned in two months of attacks in Kenskoff in early 2025. As a result, 3,000 people were forced to flee their homes.

Dozens of other attacks have occurred since then. These include defamation, kidnapping, arson and livestock theft.

“My family has been affected. The people of Kenskoff are suffering, and the government is to blame,” said Coriolanus Candy, standing next to the body of his relative, wrapped in a bloody sheet.

Another local resident appealed to the prime minister for help.

“We are living in a state of discrimination and they are not doing anything for us,” he said.

Residents said dozens of police officers tried to resist the armed gang overnight and some were wounded. They added that they did not see any gang members among the dead.

The Kenscoff area borders the town of Petion-Ville, home to several embassies, luxury hotels and the temporary government headquarters, and the main road from the capital to southern Haiti.

The violence has raised concerns that it could disrupt elections scheduled for December. Successive governments have repeatedly postponed the vote as armed gangs have grown in influence.

The UN-backed force, which helps police fight criminal gangs, aims to increase its troop strength to 5,500 by the fall. Its spokesman did not respond to questions about whether the troops were being sent to reinforce Kenscoff.

It was previously reported that children make up half of Haiti's criminal gangs. The number of children joining criminal gangs increased by 200 percent in 2025. They were paid between $100 and $700, depending on the assignment.