Gang raid on Haitian church camp leaves around 40 dead

Suspected gang members launched a deadly raid on a church sheltering displaced civilians in the hills above Port-au-Prince, killing approximately 40 people, municipal officials reported on Monday, August 24.

The attack occurred late Sunday night in Kenscoff, a mountainous municipality southeast of the Haitian capital. According to local authorities, cited by Le Monde newspaper, armed assailants stormed a temporary camp for displaced families that had been set up inside a local church building.

Mayor Massillon Jean described the assault as "a night of terror" in a town that has faced months of relentless gang violence.

"We have counted around 40 bodies. Searches are continuing. Some people are still missing," Jean told Agence France-Presse. "The bandits raided a displaced persons camp located in a church. They executed several people. There are fatalities and dozens of wounded. Some people were abducted by the criminals."

Following the assault, the office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé released a statement conveying "deep compassion" for the victims and their families. The government announced that security forces and reinforcements would be deployed to Kenscoff to restore order.

Kenscoff has been locked in ongoing conflict for months as heavily armed groups maneuver to extend their territorial control. Armed gangs now dominate vast swathes of the capital, subjecting populations to killings, rapes, looting, and ransom kidnappings.

According to United Nations estimates, nearly 1.5 million Haitians are internally displaced out of a total population of roughly 11 million. More than 5 million citizens are currently experiencing acute food insecurity. The nation's prolonged crisis intensified significantly in early 2024 following a coordinated gang offensive that forced the former unelected prime minister from office.

Haiti has lacked elected national leadership since July 2021, when President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in his residence. No national elections have taken place in the country since 2016. General elections are scheduled to take place in December.

By Tamilla Hasanova