Haiti Hostage Crisis: Seven Adults and a Child Abducted from Orphanage

On Sunday, a three-year-old child and seven staff members from a Haitian orphanage were abducted approximately 40 kilometers from Port-au-Prince, the nation's capital.

The orphanage is part of the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) network, which operates a range of orphanages, hospitals, and educational programs for children across Latin America and the Caribbean. This network was established by a Catholic priest.

Among those taken hostage was veteran Irish missionary Gena Heraty, who oversees care for children with special needs at St. Hélène Foyer, the organization’s primary home for Haitian children located in Kenscoff, south of the capital.

Local media reported that the abduction occurred during the early hours of Sunday. Heraty was reportedly able to make a phone call later that day confirming the kidnapping of herself and the others. At that time, no ransom demands had been communicated.

The orphanage provides care for about 270 children, including some with disabilities. In a statement, NPH expressed that this attack strikes at the core of their mission: protecting children, supporting the most vulnerable, and serving with dignity, justice, and compassion.