Violence flares in Haiti as gang attack kills 30 people

By Al Jazeera Staff, AP and Reuters. Published On 24 Aug 202624 Aug 2026.

Key points

• A powerful gang coalition mounted the deadly attack on a farming community in Kenscoff, south of the capital, Port-au-Prince, late on Sunday, authorities noted.
• Massillon blamed the attack on members of Viv Ansanm, a group that was designated as a "foreign terrorist organisation" by the United States administration last year.
• According to the UN, gang violence has displaced 1.5 million individuals throughout Haiti.
• At least 30 individuals have been killed as a new wave of violence grips Haiti.
• Jean Massillon, Kenscoff's mayor, remarked armed men "sowed chaos" as they set homes on fire and killed residents.

Notably, a powerful gang coalition mounted the deadly attack on a farming community in Kenscoff, south of the capital, Port-au-Prince, late on Sunday, authorities noted. The flare-up in violence comes as Haiti hopes to hold its first general election in more than a decade.

He remarked gang members targeted a church and homes, including that of Jean William Pape, a leading public health expert.

Gangs control an estimated 70 percent of Port-au-Prince. Viv Ansanm has repeatedly targeted Kenscoff. It occupies a strategic position overlooking routes into Petion-Ville, where a number of embassies, upscale hotels and ⁠the temporary seat of administration are located.

Meanwhile, a United Nations-backed gang suppression force is mandated to support police fight the gangs and restore order, but it has not yet reached its full capacity of 5, 500 members.

According to the UN, gang violence has displaced 1.5 million individuals throughout Haiti. The violence has persisted despite efforts to rein it in. More than 3, 100 individuals were noted killed and 1, 189 injured from January to June as gangs continued a reign of terror in Port-au-Prince that sparked international concern last year.

Haiti's prime minister's office on Monday condemned the "heinous attack" and sought to reassure Haitians that security forces were on high alert and reinforcements were being deployed.

"Kenscoff will not be abandoned, " a statement read. "The government's authority will be restored, ⁠without weakness and without delay."

Haitians have been registering to vote in elections planned in January, but experts have cautioned it's at present too dangerous to hold the vote.

Taken together, the developments around violence flares in Haiti as gang attack kills 30 people point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.