A missionary taken hostage at an orphanage in Haiti has been released along with seven others, nearly a month after they were abducted. The group included a 3-year-old child and several Haitian nationals.
Gena Heraty, an Irish aid worker based in Haiti for over three decades, was kidnapped on Aug. 3 from the orphanage she oversaw in Kenscoff, a mountainous area outside Port-au-Prince, according to The Guardian. She was held along with seven Haitians, including the child, until their release was confirmed last Wednesday.
The group was reportedly taken when armed men broke through a wall around 3:30 a.m. local time and stormed the compound where the orphanage director and staff lived. The attackers moved directly to the building where Heraty was staying and left with nine hostages.
It remains unclear who was responsible for the kidnapping, though some reports linked the attack to Viv Ansanm, a criminal alliance active in the area since February last year. The group is part of a network of gangs that have seized control over large parts of the Haitian capital.
Ireland’s deputy prime minister Simon Harris welcomed the release in a public statement.
“We warmly welcome the news that Gena and all of the Haitian nationals taken captive on August 3, including a small child, have been released and are reported to be safe and well,” Harris stated.
Heraty, originally from Westport in County Mayo, has been a humanitarian worker with the organization Nos Petits Freres et Soeurs, also known as Our Little Brothers and Sisters.
The orphanage in Kenscoff, where Heraty had been working, is home to about 270 children.
She had been living in Haiti for 32 years at the time of the kidnapping.
“Gena is a respected humanitarian and deeply courageous person who has dedicated her life to supporting the most vulnerable people in Haiti,” Harris said.
In a statement issued by Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Heraty’s family said they were “relieved beyond words” and expressed gratitude to those who had worked to secure the release. They thanked the deputy prime minister, the Irish foreign ministry, Ireland’s ambassador to the United States, and various officials who had supported the effort.
The family also asked for privacy and said their priority was Heraty’s health and the well-being of those in her care.
Ireland’s foreign ministry advises citizens not to travel to Haiti due to an “extremely volatile” security situation. Its website warns of kidnappings, frequent clashes between gangs and police and widespread violent crime.
The United Nations estimates that nearly 350 people were kidnapped in the first half of 2025 in Haiti. At least 3,141 people were killed in the same period, according to the UN Human Rights Office. The organization has said that 85 percent of Port-au-Prince is under gang control and that armed groups have created a humanitarian crisis, displacing 1.3 million people as of June, as noted by the BBC.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has warned that escalating gang activity is threatening to destabilize the country further. The UN has also reported that families forced into makeshift shelters are now facing increased health and protection risks.
In July, six UNICEF employees were kidnapped during an authorized mission in gang-controlled territory in Port-au-Prince. One was released the following day, while the remaining five were held for three weeks.
Efforts to bring stability to Haiti have included the deployment of foreign police and the use of armed drones by authorities. Still, criminal groups continue to hold vast power over urban neighborhoods, making the capital and its outskirts dangerous even for aid workers and local residents.
