HAITI – Three million children in Haiti are in need of humanitarian assistance as continuing gang violence hampers aid delivery, the head of the UN children’s agency, Unicef, has said. Catherine Russell said the situation in gang-wracked Haiti was “catastrophic” and growing worse “by the day”. She told a meeting of the UN Security Council that in many areas essential services had collapsed.

Meanwhile, a transitional presidential council has still not been sworn in. While Haiti has been blighted by gangs for years, the armed groups stepped up their attacks at the end of February when Prime Minister Ariel Henry travelled to Kenya to seal a deal for a multinational security force to be deployed to the Caribbean nation. Mr Henry was prevented from returning to Haiti as the gangs attacked the international airport, forcing its closure.

Even though the gangs said that their main aim was the ouster of Mr Henry, they have continued to carry out attacks on the police force. They have also looted universities and libraries, torched pharmacies and forced the closure of the capital Port-au-Prince’s largest hospital. Non-governmental groups say the armed groups now control an estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince.

According to Unicef, 2.7m people live in areas under effective gang control with children often becoming victims of their attacks. “Each day, children are being injured or killed. Some are being recruited, or they are joining armed groups out of sheer desperation,” Ms Russel told the UN Security Council meeting in New York on Monday.

And on Monday, the Varreux terminal – through which most of the fuel destined for the capital passes – was forced to suspend operations as armed men seized trucks and blocked access roads. Clashes between the police and gang members were also reported in the vicinity of the National Palace, the building where the transitional council is due to be sworn in.

(BBC)…[+]