Around 40 displaced people killed in church attack near Haiti's capital

Around 40 displaced people were killed when armed gang members attacked a church shelter in Kenscoff, in the hills above Port-au-Prince, according to the local mayor. The assault took place on Sunday night and left other people missing, wounded or abducted, officials said. The victims had been sheltering inside a displaced persons camp located in the church.

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Mayor Massillon Jean said on Monday that authorities had counted about 40 bodies after the attack. He described the incident as a "night of terror" in a municipality that has faced months of gang violence and incursions. Jean said some of the victims were killed execution-style, while others were taken away by the attackers.

He also said searches were continuing for people still unaccounted for. The office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime said it expressed deep compassion for the bereaved families and all those affected. The government also said reinforcements would be sent to restore security in the area.

The attack adds to the pressure on authorities in a country where armed groups control much of the capital and surrounding areas. Kenscoff, a mountainous municipality southeast of Port-au-Prince, has been one of the places affected by that wider insecurity. The killings are significant because they targeted people who had already been displaced by violence and were seeking shelter in a church.

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Haiti has been facing a prolonged security and humanitarian crisis, with large numbers of people forced from their homes and many living in temporary sites. United Nations figures cited in the source material say nearly 1.5 million Haitians are currently displaced, while more than five million face severe food insecurity. The attack also comes as the country remains under intense strain from political instability and gang activity.

The broader crisis in Haiti has deepened since early 2024, when gangs launched a wave of violence that forced the unelected prime minister to resign. The country has not held any kind of election since 2016, and its last president, Jovenel Moise, was assassinated in July 2021. Armed groups have continued to expand their reach in and around Port-au-Prince, making areas such as Kenscoff increasingly vulnerable to attacks and displacement.

That context helps explain why a church shelter became a target and why the incident is likely to intensify concern over civilian protection. What remains unclear is the exact number of people killed, wounded and abducted, as searches were still under way after the attack. It is also not yet clear which armed group carried out the assault or whether anyone has been detained.

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