Haiti schedules general elections for December 2025 amid ongoing crisis
Haiti scheduled December 2025 elections while combating gangs, mass displacement, and thousands of deaths.
Event / Conflict
Haiti Gang Violence Crisis
Ongoing crisis of gang violence in Haiti marked by mass attacks, kidnappings, and killings. Armed gangs control significant portions of the country and commit systematic violence against civilians.
3 reported locations
Daily activity
5 articles0 articles
2026-08-25 to 2026-11-08 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 25 Aug, 07:34 UTC
Follow the documented timeline or explore the related reporting.
What happened
Armed gang attack on Kenscoff kills at least 47 people
Armed men attacked the community of Kenscoff near Haiti's capital on Sunday, killing at least 47 people. At least five of the victims were children. According to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), 22 of the victims were reportedly executed in a church compound where they had sought shelter.
More than 50 people kidnapped in Kenscoff attack
More than 50 people were kidnapped during the armed attack on Kenscoff. The kidnapping is believed to be one of the largest mass kidnappings in Haiti in recent years.
Nearly 800 rapes reported in Haiti from April to June 2025
The UN reported that nearly 800 rapes were reported in Haiti from April to June 2025, with 87% of those cases representing collective rapes.
Two Kenscoff government employees killed in attack
Two government employees were among those killed in the attack, including Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon's cousin who served as his security detail.
UN reports 3,050 people killed in Haiti from January to June 2025
According to UN statistics released Tuesday, more than 3,050 people were killed in Haiti from January to June 2025, and another 1,400 were injured. Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people across Haiti.
UN Secretary-General condemns Kenscoff attack
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack on Kenscoff on Tuesday, stating that the relentless gang attacks on communities and loss of lives underscore alarming security conditions in Haiti.
Haiti to hold general elections on December 13, 2025
Haiti is preparing to hold general elections on December 13 for the first time in more than a decade.
First major attack on Kenscoff occurred in January 2025
The first major attack on Kenscoff occurred in January 2025, followed by sporadic attacks in the mountains surrounding the city center. Between January and August 2025, security operations had managed to reduce violence in Kenscoff by 66% prior to Sunday's large-scale attack.
Armed men control 70% of Port-au-Prince
Armed men control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince and swaths of land in Haiti's central region and beyond.
Gangs burn 25 homes in Kenscoff
Members of Viv Ansanm, a powerful gang coalition designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States, set fire to 25 homes during the attack on Kenscoff.
81 kidnappings reported in Haiti from April to June 2025
At least 81 people were reported kidnapped in Haiti from April to June 2025, representing a more than 40% increase compared with the previous quarter. The UN noted that actual kidnapping numbers are likely much higher, as many victims' relatives negotiate directly with kidnappers rather than reporting to police.
Gang leader threatens to execute hostages if police intervene
A gang leader identified as Izo 2 (also known as 'Didi'), who leads an armed group in Kenscoff on behalf of more powerful gang leaders including Izo (Johnson André), posted a video on social media threatening to kill all hostages if Haiti's National Police director Vladimir Paraison uses drones or takes military action against the gang.
UN-supported Gang Suppression Force in process of deployment
A Gang Suppression Force (FRG) supported by the United Nations is being deployed to assist local police forces who are overwhelmed by gang violence. The force is intended to eventually comprise 5,500 foreign police officers and military personnel, though the exact number already deployed is unknown.
Haiti has approximately 1.5 million internally displaced persons
According to an International Organization for Migration estimate from June, approximately 1.5 million people out of Haiti's 11 million population are internally displaced due to gang-related violence. Gang violence includes murders, kidnappings, sexual assaults, and child recruitment across the country, not limited to the capital.
Kenscoff experiences months of armed gang confrontations
Kenscoff has been the site of ongoing confrontations between armed groups seeking to expand their control in the region for several months prior to the August attack.
Armed gang attack kills approximately 40 people in Kenscoff, Haiti
Armed gang members attacked a displaced persons camp located in a church in Kenscoff, a commune in the highlands near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, during the night of Sunday August 23 to Monday August 24. Approximately 40 people were killed in the attack, with dozens more wounded. Several people were also kidnapped during the incident.
Haiti Prime Minister's office announces deployment of reinforcements to Kenscoff
The office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé announced the deployment of reinforcements to restore security in the Kenscoff area following the armed gang attack. The government expressed compassion for the victims and their families.
Read the coverage
2 alternative perspectives
UN documents surge in Haiti killings, sexual violence through mid-2025
UN reports 3,050 deaths and surge in sexual violence in Haiti through mid-2025 as gangs control capital.
Kenscoff hostage crisis deepens as gang leader issues execution threat
Gang leader threatens hostage executions if police intervene in Kenscoff kidnapping crisis.
Haiti faces humanitarian crisis with 1.5 million internally displaced
Haiti's 1.5 million internally displaced persons face a critical humanitarian emergency.
Security forces deploy to Kenscoff after gang attack kills 40
Gang attack kills 40 in Kenscoff; security reinforcements and UN force deploying.