For days, families in Kenscoff, Haiti, waited with little idea of what had happened to their loved ones.

More than 50 people had been taken captive during a deadly attack on the hillside community near Port-au-Prince. At least 47 people were killed, while homes were set ablaze and residents were forced to flee.

Then came a small but powerful moment of hope.

Thirteen hostages — seven women and six children — were released after nearly a week in captivity, according to UNICEF.

Among the children were three under the age of two, a 7-year-old child and two teenage girls. UNICEF and community leaders helped support efforts that contributed to their release.

For the families waiting for them, the news meant that 13 people who had disappeared during the chaos were finally coming home.

A Community Left in Shock
The attack began on August 23, when armed men stormed Kenscoff, a community in the hills outside Haiti’s capital.

The violence left dozens dead and sent thousands of residents fleeing their homes. More than 2,600 people were displaced following the attack, according to humanitarian officials.

Among those caught in the violence were families who had simply been trying to find somewhere safe.

The scale of the attack made the kidnapping particularly frightening. More than 50 people were reported abducted, leaving relatives desperately waiting for information.

For days, uncertainty hung over the community.

Then 13 People Walked Free
The release of the women and children did not erase the horror of what had happened, but it gave families a reason to hope.

The youngest survivors were barely old enough to understand what had happened. Three were infants or toddlers under two years old.

Two teenage girls were also among those released, along with a 7-year-old child.

UNICEF described the release as a rare moment of hope amid the violence affecting children in Haiti.

But the agency also warned that the danger has not disappeared.

The status of many of the other people taken during the attack remains unclear.

A Long Road Home
For those who survived, freedom is only the beginning.

After days of fear and uncertainty, the women and children will need safety, care and support as they begin recovering from the ordeal.

And for the families whose loved ones remain unaccounted for, the waiting continues.

The 13 people who were released represent a moment of light in an otherwise devastating story.

They were taken away from their families during one of the darkest days Kenscoff had experienced.

Now, at least 13 families have something they had been desperately hoping for:

Their loved ones are alive.

Course: NY Post