By SCM International Desk I Wednesday, August 26, 2026
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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Armed gang members launched a nighttime raid on a church compound serving as a temporary shelter for displaced families, killing more than 40 people—some in execution-style slayings—in one of the deadliest recent assaults on the outskirts of the Haitian capital.
The attack occurred in Kenscoff, a mountainous commune southeast of Port-au-Prince. Local officials reported that heavily armed assailants stormed the sanctuary, opening fire on families who had fled violence in other parts of the country.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expressed outrage over the killings.
”We are deeply appalled by the consequences of the violence in Port-au-Prince, which has claimed the lives of more than 40 people, including people who had sought refuge in a church,” said Marisela Silva Chau, the ICRC’s head of delegation in Haiti.
“Civilians must be spared from violence and able to find safe refuge. Our thoughts are with those affected and their loved ones.”
Local authorities described a chaotic and violent scene. Kenscoff Mayor Massillon Jean referred to the raid as a “night of terror,” confirming that dozens of bodies had been recovered while search-and-rescue efforts continued for missing residents believed to have been abducted.
The assault in Kenscoff underscores the rapid deterioration of security across Haiti, where criminal alliances now control an estimated 80 to 90 percent of Port-au-Prince and continue pushing into surrounding rural and suburban districts.
Haiti has been engulfed in deep political instability and systemic violence since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. The crisis escalated significantly after coordinated gang offensives forced the resignation of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry, leaving state institutions severely weakened.
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé’s administration has struggled to halt the territorial expansion of armed coalitions.
International efforts to restore order have yielded limited results.
Despite the deployment of a U.N.-backed Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission led by Kenyan police forces, Haiti’s national police remain severely under-resourced and outgunned.
Humanitarian conditions have reached critical levels nationwide:
Mass Displacement: United Nations estimates show that approximately 1.5 million Haitians have been internally displaced by violence, with churches, schools, and makeshift camps frequently targeted despite lacking basic security.
Acute Hunger: More than 5 million people—nearly half the nation’s population—face acute food insecurity.
Widespread Atrocities: Beyond Port-au-Prince, armed groups have increasingly targeted rural communities, executing civilians, burning homes, and disrupting essential supply routes.
Government officials announced that security reinforcements are being sent to Kenscoff to restore order, though local residents have expressed growing frustration over the state’s inability to safeguard vulnerable populations.
