13 of 60 Hostages Freed in Haiti After Nearly a Week in Captivity

A glimmer of hope has emerged in Haiti as 13 of the 60 individuals abducted in Kenscoff, on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, have been freed. The hostages, who had been held for nearly a week, include six children and seven women, according to a statement from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

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This liberation offers a rare moment of hope in the face of the violence that threatens children in Haiti.

Among the children released were three infants under two years old, a seven-year-old boy, and two teenagers. UNICEF highlighted that its representatives, alongside community leaders, played a crucial role in the efforts that led to the hostages' liberation. This event follows a brutal massacre in Kenscoff on August 23, which claimed the lives of approximately 50 people.

Yannig Dussart, UNICEF's deputy representative in Haiti, described the release as a rare moment of hope amidst the pervasive violence affecting children in the country. However, she cautioned that the Kenscoff kidnapping is not an isolated incident but rather a stark reflection of the scale and frequency of attacks targeting children in Haiti.

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The Kenscoff kidnapping was not an isolated incident, but a new reflection of the magnitude and frequency of attacks against children in Haiti.

UNICEF reiterated its call for armed groups to cease their attacks on children and ensure their protection. The organization noted that armed violence continues to expose minors to killings, kidnappings, and other grave violations. Community leader Frère Luckson, who runs an orphanage, stated that the hostages were released without any ransom being paid, emphasizing his intervention after seeing the situation on social media, particularly the presence of children among the captives.

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They handed over all the people to me without the exchange of a single cent.