For generations, Kenscoff was the place where residents of Port-au-Prince went to breathe. The coolness of its hills offered respite, and its farmers supplied the capital’s markets. Gang attacks reached the municipality in January 2025, but it remained an important buffer between gang-controlled territories and Pétion-Ville. On the night of August 23, the Viv Ansanm coalition launched its largest attack to date against the community.

According to the United Nations, at least 47 people were killed and 22 injured, including five children. Twenty-two people were reportedly executed inside a church where they had sought refuge, and more than 50 others were kidnapped. It is one of the largest mass kidnappings Haiti has experienced in recent years.