Haitian Government Faces Criticism for its Response to Gang Attack in Kenscoff

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 5 2025 – The humanitarian situation in Haiti continues to deteriorate as armed gangs expand their control in Port-Au-Prince and escalate acts of violence throughout the nation. Due to heightened insecurity, civilian displacement has reached new peaks, with hunger, disease, and the economic crisis having grown worse. With access to basic services diminished, approximately 5.5 million Haitians are dependent on humanitarian aid for survival. However, relief efforts have been severely hampered due to safety risks, restricted mobility and the vast scale of needs.

On January 27, the Viv Ansamn armed gang invaded a neighborhood in Kenscoff, a town that borders Haiti’s capital city, Port-Au-Prince. Viv Ansamn members attacked civilians and set numerous homes ablaze. The eight-day assault resulted in 50 civilian casualties and dozens of additional injuries. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that over 1,660 residents were displaced.

Haitian National Police (HNP) spokesperson Michel-Ange Louis Jeune informed reporters that police forces had managed to apprehend and kill at least 20 gang members so far, and that additional security measures were being taken to ensure accountability and protect the community from reprisals. However, police and government responses were criticized by civilians as many believed that the attacks were preventable.

Earlier this week, intelligence warnings from the Ministries of Interior and Justice received intelligence warnings that reported that there was a strong likelihood of gang violence breaking out in the capital and surrounding areas. Additionally, many civilians reported that plans of the attacks were posted onto social media days in advance.

Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé confirmed that intelligence personnel, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, and the Ministry of the Interior and Local Authorities were all informed of Viv Ansamn’s intention to attack in Kenscoff. Despite this, law enforcement failed to mobilize and respond effectively.

“It was announced on all the social media platforms. On Jan. 23 the Kenscoff police station was aware. On Jan. 25 the mayor’s office issued a curfew notice. The police said they had means and could respond. Today… the gangs have been reinforced in Kafoubèt. They came with ammunition on horseback, they’ve taken a church as their headquarters, and the population is out in the streets, for how long we don’t know. The police have shown that they are powerless,” said Marie Yolène Gilles, a human rights advocate who had been investigating the attacks in Kenscoff.

On February 3, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued a situation report in which they detailed the heightened insecurity in the Port-Au-Prince Metropolitan Area (ZMPAP). According to their estimates, ZMPAP remains the epicenter of violence and displacement in Haiti, with armed gangs controlling over 85 percent of the capital city.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) states that approximately 1.2 million children are in need of humanitarian assistance in the area. Gang recruitments of children has soared by over 70 percent in the last year, with roughly 50 percent of all gang members in ZMPAP being children. This rise has been attributed to the absence of protection services and other means of survival for children.

The humanitarian crisis in Haiti has been exacerbated by an escalation of civilian displacements. New figures from the IOM indicate that there have been over 1,041,000 internal civilian displacements, with many having been displaced multiple times. This marks a nearly threefold increase in displacement since 2023, with numbers having doubled in ZMPAP alone.

IOM states that approximately 83 percent of Haitians rely on host communities for shelter and protection. 200,000 Haitians who had fled to neighboring countries were deported back to Haiti last year, further straining the availability of resources in the crowded displacement shelters.

It is estimated that children account for nearly 50 percent of all internally displaced Haitians. According to UNICEF, displaced children are particularly vulnerable to violence, including sexual violence, exploitation, and abuse. UNICEF states that within the past year, instances of sexual violence subjected on children had risen by 1,000 percent.

Disease outbreaks have also run rampant since the start of the gang wars in Haiti. According to UNICEF, unsanitary living conditions in displacement shelters and the onset of famine has resulted in a highly fertile breeding ground for cholera. As of now, there have been at least 88,000 recorded cases of cholera, which disproportionately affects children.

Sustained gang violence has created ripple effects that have damaged multiple sectors of Haiti’s economy. In a report from Mercy Corps titled Impact of Gang Violence on Food Systems in Haiti, Haiti’s agricultural sector has been hit particularly hard. Due to gang violence restricting mobility, seizing farmland, and impeding cargo flights, food production has seen significant losses. This has resulted in a 40 percent rise in inflation and an overall deepening of poverty and hunger.

A report published by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) in October 2024 predicts that widespread food insecurity will affect Haiti until at least May of this year. According to the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC), the vast majority of the country is set to face “crisis” (IPC Level 3) and “emergency” (IPC Level 4) levels of hunger, which are the two most severe forms.

Additionally, it is estimated that humanitarian food assistance will be ineffective in helping the most vulnerable populations recover from famine. Mercy Corps predicts that approximately 2.0-2.5 million people will not be reached, with coverage falling below 4 percent.

IPS UN Bureau Report

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