Escalating gang violence in Haiti has displaced 680,000 children, nearly twice as many as last year, as armed groups seize more territory and basic services collapse, UNICEF warned on Wednesday.

More than 6 million people, including 3.3 million children, now need urgent humanitarian assistance in Haiti, according to UNICEF. The agency says the surge in violence and displacement highlights growing risks to millions, especially children.

“Children in Haiti are experiencing violence and displacement at a terrifying scale,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

“Each time they are forced to flee, they lose not only their homes but also their chance to go to school, and simply to be children.”

The crisis is worsening by the numbers: more than 1 million children face severe food insecurity, while around 288,500 under-fives are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition next year according to UNICEF.

Armed groups now control areas home to 2.7 million people, and more than 1.3 million have been forced to flee, including 246,000 already displaced this year.

Gangs have tightened their grip on much of the country, overwhelming police and forcing aid groups to scale back. The United Nations Security Council recently approved a U.S.-backed plan to boost an international security mission, but the force remains underfunded and under-equipped more than 15 months after its launch.

UNICEF is urging immediate global funding to expand life-saving aid, from shelter and healthcare to clean water and education, warning that critical programmes for Haiti’s children are at risk.

Copied