Gang Violence in Haiti Escalates as Missionary and Child Among Eight Kidnapped

Gang Violence in Haiti Escalates as Missionary and Child Among Eight Kidnapped
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Eight people, including an Irish missionary and a 3-year-old child, remain missing after armed men attacked an orphanage in Haiti on Sunday, CNN reported. The assault took place in Kenscoff, an area now under control of the “Viv Ansanm” gang federation, recently designated a foreign terrorist group by the US.

The Saint-Hélène orphanage, home to over 240 children, is operated by the international charity Nos Petits Frères et Sœurs. Among those abducted is Gena Heraty, a long-serving missionary known for her work with special-needs children. Authorities, along with UNICEF, are relocating children and staff to safer locations.

Haiti’s worsening security crisis continues, with 175 kidnappings reported between April and June—mostly in Port-au-Prince—many linked to the Grand Ravine and Village de Dieu gangs, part of the same federation. Irish officials and Heraty’s family have called for her immediate release, as concerns mount over the safety of foreign workers in Haiti.