For eight straight days, Kenscoff, a wealthy neighborhood in Haiti located a little over six miles southeast of Port-au-Prince, has been ravaged by armed gangs. This wave of violence has claimed at least 40 lives and displaced more than 1,660 people, marking a disturbing surge of violence into previously safe areas of Haiti.
Mayor Jean Massillon reported on Monday, February 3, 2025, that Kenscoff had been under siege for several days. In his address to the media, he accused the Viv Ansanm gang coalition of the attacks, noting that gunmen were moving from house to house, opening fire indiscriminately.
Massillon noted that the area is currently surrounded and called for additional reinforcements. Among the deceased are pastors, teachers, and children. He suggested that the death toll might be even higher, as certain sections of the neighborhood, home to numerous politicians and business leaders, remain inaccessible to authorities.
Many of the victims are working-class residents who farm on the surrounding foothills of a nearby mountain range.
The police union criticized the government’s response to the Kenscoff attack, claiming that if officers had been properly equipped and resourced, the attack could have been prevented. The failure of the national police to plan and coordinate effectively has hindered efforts to protect residents, even as gangs have gained control of parts of the neighborhood.
This recent outbreak of violence follows a brutal massacre in the Cité Soleil district of Port-au-Prince in December, where gang leader Micanor “Mikanò” Altès was responsible for the deaths of over 180 people. According to human rights observers, Micanor killed at least 60 elderly individuals on December 6 and another 50 on December 7 using machetes and knives. The Wharf Jérémie area remains under gang control, with elderly residents and Voodoo adherents being specifically targeted.
The UN Human Rights Office recorded unprecedented levels of gang violence in 2024, resulting in 5,601 deaths and 2,212 injuries across Haiti. They documented 315 lynchings of suspected gang members and 281 alleged summary executions by specialized police units during the year.
An international response to the crisis has been set up, led by a UN-backed mission of over 600 Kenyan police officers, bolstered recently by the addition of 70 Salvadoran soldiers. The Salvadoran soldiers provide expertise in air support, which Kenyan officials claim will be vital for medical evacuations. Personnel from Jamaica and Guatemala have also joined the mission, though the force remains understaffed and lacking in equipment.
Gang violence has displaced over a million people, with an 87% increase in displacement in Port-au-Prince between 2023 and 2024. Half of the displaced are children, who now face severe health and protection risks in rural areas where resources are scarce. Gang control extends to 85% of Port-au-Prince, disrupting healthcare services and leading to the closure of the international airport. A recent attack during the reopening of a public hospital resulted in the deaths of two journalists and a police officer.
The United Nations secretary-general has warned that without further international aid, Port-au-Prince could soon fall under complete gang control. He emphasized the urgent need to strengthen both Haiti’s national police and multinational forces as violence continues to spread into previously unaffected areas.
