Police patrol near Haiti’s National Palace following the displacement of over 60,000 residents caused by gang violence. Clarens Siffroy/AFP via Getty Images
Irish Missionary Targeted in Haiti Orphanage Kidnapping
Among those abducted was Gena Heraty, an Irish national who has worked in Haiti since 1993 and led the orphanage’s special needs programme. Heraty previously survived a violent break-in at the same orphanage in 2013, where an intruder armed with a hammer killed her colleague as he tried to intervene. In a past interview, she recounted that the attackers were armed and aggressive, stating, “Life is just not fair. We just have to accept it.”
Her family said in a statement they were “absolutely devastated” and described the situation as “evolving and deeply worrying.” Irish government officials have since expressed concern, with Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris calling for the immediate and safe release of all hostages.
Kenscoff Abduction Underscores Haiti’s Deepening Security Collapse
The Kenscoff region, once regarded as a relatively stable community within the greater Port-au-Prince area, is now under the influence of a powerful gang alliance known as Viv Ansanm. The United States earlier this year designated the group a foreign terrorist organisation under federal law.
Sunday’s incident follows a pattern of rising abductions. A 2021 case involving the kidnapping of 17 missionaries by the 400 Mawozo gang drew global attention. Now, according to the United Nations, at least 175 people were kidnapped in Haiti between April and June 2025 alone, with a majority of cases concentrated in the capital. The UN reported that many of these incidents were carried out by the Grand Ravine and Village de Dieu gangs, both aligned with Viv Ansanm.
Efforts to Relocate Children After Haiti Orphanage Kidnapping
The Haitian government is collaborating with international agencies to find alternative care arrangements for the children left behind. UNICEF is involved in assessing the safety of relocation sites.
The ongoing instability has prompted aid organisations to urge stronger international responses, as gang control spreads beyond urban zones into previously unaffected areas.
In recent months, efforts to stabilise Haiti have included international proposals for a Kenya-led security mission.
However, deployment delays have limited progress on the ground. Local groups warn that even protected institutions such as orphanages are no longer immune to violence, calling attention to the urgent need for a reinforced security framework.
In the wake of the abduction, staff at the orphanage remain in hiding, while rescue efforts continue. The charity’s operations, including support for children with disabilities, are now on hold pending further developments.
As such similar high crimes remain in the region, international attention has turned to the safety of aid workers, many of whom operate in high-risk zones with minimal protection.
