At least 47 people were killed and 22 injured in an overnight gang raid on a neighborhood overlooking Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, the United Nations said Monday, prompting anger over the lack of protection from repeated deadly attacks, reports Reuters.
The U.N. Integrated Office in Haiti said the toll could change.
The hillside community of Kenscoff, strategically positioned above routes into the capital, has suffered a dozen attacks by armed gangs since last year, forcing thousands to flee.
Powerful gangs operating under a broad alliance have cemented their control over the capital and expanded into nearby regions, despite efforts by foreign countries to reinforce Haiti's outgunned police.
Haitian rights group RNDDH estimated that 30 to 40 people were killed and 15 to 20 wounded in the raid, which began around 10:30 p.m. local time, but said the full toll was difficult to assess.
The government condemned the attack as "heinous" and promised to reinforce security. Residents, however, demanded the local police chief step down, saying officers had failed to protect people killed just minutes from the police station.
"Kenscoff will not be abandoned," the prime minister's office said on social media. "The government's authority will be restored, without weakness and without delay."
FORCED TO FLEE KENSCOFF
Attacks in Kenscoff over two months in early 2025 killed more than 260 people and destroyed or burned 200 homes, forcing 3,000 people to flee, according to U.N. estimates.
Nearly a dozen more attacks have taken place since, including rape, kidnapping, arson and livestock theft.
"My family are victims," said Coriolan Kendy, standing beside his cousin's body, which lay on the road under a blood-stained sheet. "People in Kenscoff are suffering and the government is to blame."
Another resident, Orisme, who did not give his last name, pleaded for the prime minister's support.
"We live in humiliation and they do nothing for us," he said.
Residents said several dozen police officers tried to repel the armed men during the night and that some officers were injured. They said they did not identify gang members among the dead.
Local media reported that several houses were set on fire, including the home of Jean William Pape, a leading public health expert.
"The police never gave up," national police chief Vladimir Paraison told reporters during a visit to Kenscoff later in the day.
Kenscoff overlooks routes into Petion-Ville, home to several embassies, upscale hotels and the temporary seat of government, as well as a major road linking the capital to southern Haiti.
The violence could deepen concerns over Haiti's ability to hold an election in December, its first in a decade. Successive governments have repeatedly postponed elections as armed gangs have expanded their influence.
The U.N.-backed Gang Suppression Force, mandated to help police fight gangs, aims to reach a capacity of more than 5,500 troops this autumn.
A spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about whether the force was reinforcing security in Kenscoff.
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