UNICEF reports release of women and children after Haitian gang kidnapping
UNICEF said six children and seven women were freed by a gang that had abducted more than 50 people in a deadly attack near Port-au-Prince, while U.N. officials called for stronger international security support for Haiti.
Six children and seven women were released by a Haitian gang that had kidnapped over 50 people during a violent raid on a community near Port-au-Prince, UNICEF said on Friday. Among those freed were three children under two years old, a seven-year-old and two teenage girls.
"This release offers a rare moment of hope amid the violence threatening children in Haiti," said Yannig Dussart, UNICEF’s deputy representative in Haiti.
UNICEF worked with local leaders to secure the release, but it remains unclear whether the freed individuals require medical care or if additional women and children remain captive.
The attack on the farming community of Kenscoff late last Sunday left at least 47 people dead. Gang leader known as Izo 2, who coordinates with other powerful gang figures, had threatened to kill hostages if police intervened.
The incident prompted an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting, where diplomats urged swift deployment of a new U.N.-backed gang-fighting force and greater international security assistance for Haiti.
Luis Ruiz Massieu, the U.N. special envoy to Haiti, said the assault generated "a new wave of public indignation across all sectors of Haiti’s society, as well as international partners."
U.S. Deputy Ambassador Jennifer Locetta affirmed U.S. commitment to Haitian-led security efforts and called on the council to provide equipment, resources and development aid to deter gang recruitment.
The council also highlighted the broader humanitarian crisis, noting that more than 2,600 people were displaced by the Kenscoff attack and that nearly 1.5 million Haitians – about 12 % of the population – are internally displaced, half of them children.
Humanitarian officials warned that gender-based violence remains widespread, with over 5,500 incidents recorded in the first half of the year.