Gang attack in Haiti kills at least 30 near Port-au-Prince

Aug 24, 2026

On August 23, 2026, the Viv Ansanm gang coalition raided Kenscoff, Haiti, killing between 30 and 47 people. Assailants targeted a church housing displaced persons and burned homes, including that of health expert Dr. Jean William Pape. The attack highlights Kenscoff's strategic position overlooking government seats in Petion-Ville. Prime Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime promised reinforcements, while residents demanded the local police chief's resignation.

Kenscoff gang attack

▪During the August 23, 2026 attack in Kenscoff, Haiti, armed assailants targeted a displaced persons camp located inside a church, executing several individuals.
▪On August 23, 2026, armed gang members launched an overnight raid in the hillside community of Kenscoff near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, killing at least 30 to 47 people.
▪The August 23, 2026 gang raid in Kenscoff, Haiti, destroyed multiple homes, including the residence of Dr. Jean William Pape, a prominent Haitian public health expert.
▪Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon blamed the August 23, 2026 attack on Viv Ansanm, a gang coalition designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States in 2025.

Gang territorial control

▪Armed gangs control approximately 70 percent of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, and have expanded their influence into surrounding regions.
▪From January to June 2026, gang violence in Haiti resulted in more than 3,100 deaths and 1,189 injuries, according to United Nations statistics.

Strategic location targeting

▪The hillside community of Kenscoff, Haiti, occupies a strategic position overlooking routes into Petion-Ville, which houses several embassies, upscale hotels, and the temporary seat of the Haitian government.
▪Kenscoff, Haiti, serves as a critical transit corridor, controlling routes from the capital of Port-au-Prince into the southern regions of the country.

Government security response

▪Residents of Kenscoff, Haiti, protested the lack of protection following the August 23, 2026 attack, demanding the resignation of the local police chief because officers failed to intervene.
▪Following the August 23, 2026 attack, the office of Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime condemned the raid and announced that security reinforcements would be deployed to Kenscoff.

UN peacekeeping force

▪The United Nations-backed multinational Gang Suppression Force plans to reach its full capacity of more than 5,500 troops by the fall of 2026 to assist Haitian police.
▪United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres visited Port-au-Prince in June 2026 to observe the deployment of the multinational Gang Suppression Force.

Haiti displacement crisis

▪Gang violence has displaced an estimated 1.5 million people across Haiti, a nation of approximately 11 million residents, according to United Nations figures.
▪More than five million people in Haiti are facing severe food insecurity amid ongoing political instability, natural disasters, and gang violence, according to United Nations figures.