A horrific unprovoked attack by a violent Haitian criminal gang has left dozens of civilians dead and injured in the mountainous town of Kenscoff, deepening the Caribbean nation’s ongoing humanitarian and security crisis. The assault unfolded shortly after 9 p.m. local time on August 23, 2026, when heavily armed members of the gang Viv Ansanm stormed the town’s central district and surrounding outlying communities, Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon confirmed in the immediate aftermath.
The gang’s primary target was a local church that had been repurposed as a shelter for people displaced by Haiti’s widespread gang violence. According to Massillon, attackers entered the camp and systematically executed or wounded dozens of unarmed civilians who had sought safety there. Beyond the killings, the gang abducted an unknown number of residents, set fire to residential homes and civilian vehicles, and slaughtered local livestock in an act of collective intimidation.
As search and recovery operations continue across Kenscoff, the provisional casualty toll stands at more than 60 affected people: at least 40 killed and more than 20 wounded. Massillon noted that the final death toll is expected to rise, as multiple residents remain unaccounted for in the wake of the attack.
In the hours following the massacre, Haiti’s Office of the Prime Minister issued an official statement condemning the attack and extending condolences to the families of all victims. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Fils-Aimé, the government affirmed its solidarity with Haitian citizens grappling with the violence, framing the attack as a critical test of state authority that will be met with force.
“All security forces are on high alert, and reinforcements are already being deployed to Kenscoff,” the statement read. “Our orders are clear: protect, secure, intervene. The Government’s authority will be restored, without weakness and without delay, throughout the entire territory of Kenscoff.” The prime minister’s office added an unequivocal commitment to ending gang dominance across the country: “No armed group will prosper in Haiti. The criminals will obtain no truce, no refuge, and no impunity. Security forces have been ordered to pursue, neutralize, and render these gangs harmless. Kenscoff will not be abandoned. Haiti will not be surrendered to the bandits. The Republic will prevail!”
Within hours of the government’s statement, the gang responsible for the massacre released a retaliatory video running less than three minutes long to signal its defiance. The footage shows roughly 20 hostages—including women, young adult men, and infants—whom the gang is using as human shields. A voiceover on the video threatens to execute all hostages if Haitian security forces launch an attack using kamikaze drones.
Haiti’s Office of Citizen Protection (OPC) joined the government in condemning the attack, issuing a statement expressing profound shock and sorrow over the tragedy that has once again plunged the Haitian people into collective mourning. The organization reaffirmed its solidarity with victim families and called for immediate, decisive action from national security authorities.”We urge the Superior Council of the National Police and all competent bodies to take all necessary measures as quickly as possible to restore lasting security in Kenscoff, protect the civilian population, and conduct a full investigation into these crimes,” the OPC statement said. “All perpetrators and those who ordered this attack must be identified, prosecuted, and brought to justice in accordance with Haitian law.”
The OPC also called on Haitian state institutions to deliver urgent emergency support to affected communities. Specifically, the organization requested immediate medical care for the injured, financial and emotional support for bereaved families, and resources to ensure that victims of the massacre are given dignified, respectful burials.