HAITI: At least 40 people were killed when an armed gang attacked a camp for displaced people near Haiti’s capital, authorities said Tuesday, in another deadly assault amid the country’s escalating gang violence.
The attack took place Sunday night in Kenscoff, a mountainous area southeast of Port-au-Prince. Mayor Massillon Jean said about 40 bodies had been recovered and that the search was continuing, with several people still reported missing.
The attackers stormed a camp established at a church where people displaced by violence had sought refuge. Several victims were killed and others wounded, while some people were reportedly abducted by the gunmen.
Mayor Jean described the incident as a “night of terror,” saying the victims had already fled gang violence elsewhere in the country in search of safety.
Haiti’s Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé’s office expressed deep sorrow over the attack and offered condolences to the victims’ families. The government said additional security personnel would be deployed to the area to restore order and protect residents.
Kenscoff has faced growing tensions and clashes between armed groups and security forces as gangs seek to expand their influence in the region.
The United Nations estimates that about 1.5 million people have been displaced by violence in Haiti. More than 5 million people in the country of roughly 11 million are also facing severe food insecurity.
More read, 70 killed in Haiti attack, far higher than official count
Haiti’s security crisis worsened sharply in early 2024 when armed gangs launched widespread attacks, placing further pressure on the country’s political system and eventually contributing to the departure of the then-unelected prime minister.
