Gang releases some women and children from group of 50 kidnapped in Haiti

Hostages Freed After Deadly Gang Siege in Haiti’s Kenscoff Community

Goldlaner.com – Thirteen captives — six children and seven women — walked free on Friday after being held by armed gang members who seized more than 50 residents during a violent assault on the hillside village of Kenscoff, located just above Port-au-Prince. The release, confirmed by UNICEF, came nearly a week after the attack that left at least 47 people dead and shattered what had long been a quiet agricultural settlement.

Among those set free were three infants under two years old, a seven-year-old child, and two teenage girls. UNICEF stated that it collaborated with local community leaders to negotiate the safe return of the women and children. Whether the freed captives required immediate medical care, or whether additional women and children remain in captivity, was not immediately known.

A Rare Breach in a Pattern of Violence

“This release offers a rare moment of hope amid the violence threatening children in Haiti,” said Yannig Dussart, UNICEF’s deputy representative in Haiti. “The Kenscoff abduction was not an isolated incident but another stark reminder of the scale and frequency of attacks on children across the country.”

While isolated kidnappings occur with regularity across Haiti’s urban corridors, the mass seizure of over 50 people at once is comparatively uncommon. Outcomes for hostages have been inconsistent: some are returned without ransom, while others have been killed even after multiple payments were made. The uncertainty surrounding the remaining captives underscores how little predictable structure governs these episodes of coercion.

The Kenscoff Attack and Gang Command Structure

The assault on Kenscoff unfolded late on a Sunday, when armed men descended on the farming community and opened fire, killing at least 47 residents before rounding up dozens more. A gang figure known locally as Izo 2 issued a public threat: all hostages would be executed if police killed any of his fighters during operations to retake the area. Izo 2 commands an armed faction in that sector and operates in coordination with other powerful leaders, most notably Izo, widely regarded as one of the most influential gang figures in the country.

The attack transformed a once-peaceful enclave into a flashpoint and triggered an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council on Friday, convened at the request of the United States, Panama, and Colombia. Diplomats present described the brutality in terms of shock and horror, pressing for rapid deployment of the newly established U.N.-backed gang-suppression force and for concrete steps to curb the lawless bands that now control swaths of territory.

Diplomatic Responses and Security Commitments

Luis Ruiz Massieu, the U.N. special envoy to Haiti, told the council that the Kenscoff massacre had produced “a new wave of public indignation across all sectors of Haiti’s society, as well as international partners.” He expressed support for the Haitian government’s decision to convene the national police, the armed forces, and the gang-suppression force in a joint assessment of the situation. Council members agreed that the suppression force would expand its footprint in Port-au-Prince while Haitian military units would reinforce their positions around Kenscoff.

Nevertheless, the envoy and numerous council speakers emphasized that international security backing must be strengthened substantially. Jennifer Locetta, U.S. Deputy Ambassador, stated that Washington “is resolved and as committed as ever to supporting Haitian-led security efforts to end gang terror.” She called on member states to furnish equipment and resources so the suppression force can deploy without delay, and to invest in employment, infrastructure, and other economic opportunities that offer residents a viable alternative to joining a gang.

“They cannot terrorize from the ends of rifles and from the comforts of toll stations – as they rob Haiti of their future,” Locetta said. “We must protect civilians against these unconscionable acts.”

Locetta also noted that gang coalitions have publicly declared their intent to prevent Haitian voters from electing representatives in a future election, arguing that what she called “terrorists” cannot be permitted to hold democracy hostage.

Humanitarian Toll and Displacement

Indrika Ratwatte, acting assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, briefed the council on the broader consequences of the Kenscoff assault. More than 2,600 residents were forced from their homes, many for the second or third time within recent months. Survivors, he said, remain traumatized, searching for missing family members and facing an uncertain future.

The wider displacement crisis dwarfs any single incident: nearly 1.5 million people — roughly 12 percent of Haiti’s total population — are now internally displaced, and half of them are children. Ratwatte added that forced returns to Haiti continue at scale, citing expulsions from the Dominican Republic and the Trump administration’s campaign to remove Haitians residing and working legally in the United States, as well as those whose visas have lapsed or who entered without documentation. In the first eight months of 2026, almost 200,000 people were forcibly returned, a 10 percent increase over the same period the previous year, many arriving with nothing.

Gender-based violence compounds the crisis. Ratwatte described the targeting of women, girls, and children as “shocking” and reported that U.N. humanitarian partners recorded over 5,500 incidents of gender-based violence in the first six months of the year — approximately 30 cases per day. The Kenscoff episode, with its mix of mass killing, prolonged captivity, and the uncertain fate of remaining hostages, crystallizes how layered and entrenched the security failure has become across the country.