Eight people, including an Irish missionary and a 3-year-old child, remain missing following a gunmen attack on an orphanage in Haiti, marking the latest violent incident in an area dominated by powerful armed gangs. The assault occurred at the Saint-Hélène orphanage in Kenscoff, a community within the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.
The orphanage, managed by the international charity Nos Petits Frères et Sœurs, cares for more than 240 children. Among those kidnapped was Gena Heraty, an Irish missionary who has worked in Haiti for 30 years and oversees the orphanage’s special needs program. Heraty had previously survived a violent 2013 attack in which her colleague was killed.
Authorities scrambled to evacuate other children and staff members while Haiti’s Institute of Social Welfare and Research collaborated with UNICEF to find safe relocation sites. The doors to the orphanage remained closed as efforts continued to secure the area.
No group has claimed responsibility yet, but the attack occurred in territory controlled by the gang federation Viv Ansanm, designated this year by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization. The region has experienced numerous kidnappings, with at least 175 cases reported between April and June 2025, often attributed to gangs like Grand Ravine and Village de Dieu within the Viv Ansanm coalition.
Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris expressed deep concern over the kidnappings and called for the immediate release of the missing individuals.
This incident spotlights the ongoing security crisis in Haiti, where vulnerable populations, including children and missionaries, face heightened risks amid widespread gang violence.
This summary integrates reports from the Los Angeles Times, Euronews, CNN, Associated Press, and other reputable sources as of August 4, 2025.
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