UN demands urgent reinforcement of Haiti mission after massacre killing 47 in Kenscoff
The UN has convened an emergency Security Council meeting following a gang attack in Kenscoff that killed at least 47 people. The international authorised force is still operating well below capacity.
Kenscoff massacre pressures Security Council to accelerate anti-gang mission
The RTP reports that the UN has called for "rapid and complete deployment" of security personnel for the international anti-gang mission in Haiti, days after an attack that killed at least 47 people in the commune of Kenscoff.
The appeal was launched by Carlos Ruiz Massieu, head of the United Nations Office in Haiti (BINUH), at an emergency Security Council meeting, convened at the request of Panama, the United States and Colombia. The attack occurred on the night of 23 to 24 August, in the hills overlooking Port-au-Prince.
"National security institutions cannot be left to face this threat without adequate support. Their rapid and complete deployment must now be accelerated," Massieu declared to the Council.
Among the victims of the Kenscoff attack are five children. Dozens of people were kidnapped and many others were injured. Houses were set on fire and people seeking refuge were attacked even in a church, where gang members executed people and killed others attempting to flee, according to Massieu's report. "I demand the immediate and unconditional release of all kidnapped persons, including women and children," the BINUH official demanded.
Gang-fighting force well below authorised capacity
The Gang Suppression Force was authorised by the UN Security Council last year, with a planned strength of 5,550 personnel. However, according to BINUH's latest report, dated 8 July, the military component had only 1,083 personnel and the civilian component 16 staff members — far short of full operational capacity.
The Kenscoff massacre is the latest in a series of attacks affecting that region since the beginning of 2025. Massieu emphasised that the incident demonstrated the gangs' ability to expand their influence beyond the capital and to challenge state authority.
Between April and June this year, the UN documented 1,408 deaths and 656 injured in Haiti.
Humanitarian crisis "among the most serious in the Western Hemisphere"
Indrika Ratwatte, UN interim under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, stated at the same meeting that Haiti faces one of the most serious humanitarian crises in the Western Hemisphere. Approximately 6.4 million people need assistance. Almost 1.5 million are internally displaced, half of whom are children.
UN humanitarian partners recorded more than 5,500 incidents of gender-based violence in the first half of this year, of which approximately 70% involved rape — with gang rapes reported in almost three-quarters of cases.
Washington presses for mandate renewal
Several Security Council members advocated for reinforcement of the Gang Suppression Force. The United States pushed for the mission's mandate to be renewed next month.
US diplomat Jennifer Locetta called on the force to "sweep the streets, neutralise the threat and return Haiti to its people," adding that terrorists cannot hold democracy hostage for violent purposes.
Massieu also warned that without an improvement in security conditions, efforts to strengthen governance, advance the political process and prepare elections will remain "severely limited and vulnerable to setbacks". He also called for those who perpetrate, finance and arm the gangs to be held accountable.
Source: RTP