Haiti has once again been thrown into chaos as heavily armed gangs carried out a brutal massacre in an upscale neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, leaving at least 40 people dead.
According to Mayor Jean Massillon, the attack on Kenscoff—home to many of the country’s elite—has been ongoing for over a week. Gunmen have reportedly gone from house to house, indiscriminately opening fire on residents, including children, pastors, and teachers.
The actual death toll may be even higher, as security forces have been unable to access certain parts of the neighborhood.
Massillon blamed the violence on the powerful Viv Ansanm gang coalition, which has already seized control of 85% of the Haitian capital. “As we speak, they have surrounded the area,” he warned, calling for urgent reinforcements.
The assault comes just weeks after the United Nations issued a dire warning that gang violence could soon overrun Port-au-Prince entirely. Despite previous alerts from the government and police about impending attacks, no specific locations were identified, leaving vulnerable communities without protection.
Jean Bertho Valmo, a farmer who fled the violence, described the horror of the latest attack. “Twelve members of one family were among the dead,” he said.
Valmo and dozens of others have sought refuge in the mayor’s office but are struggling with limited food and water. “The police and the government need to put a stop to this,” he pleaded.
The International Organization for Migration reports that over 1,660 people have been displaced by the violence in Kenscoff alone.
Overall, gang-related violence has left more than a million Haitians homeless in recent years.
A police union criticized authorities for failing to prevent the attack, arguing that better equipment—such as helicopters and all-terrain vehicles—could have made a difference.
“Despite these bad conditions, our officers continue making sacrifices, but we cannot tolerate the negligence of the authorities,” the SPNH-17 police union said in a statement.