UN warns Haiti’s capital blockaded [Video]

UNITED NATIONS/PORT-AU-PRINCE –

Haiti’s capital is almost completely cut off by air, sea and land blockades as gang violence intensifies, stopping aid from getting to 58,000 children with the most life-threatening form of malnutrition, the head of the U.N. children’s agency warned on Monday.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said two-thirds of Haiti’s children need aid, women and girls are being targeted with “extreme levels” of gender-based and sexual violence and 30-50 per cent of armed groups have children in their ranks.

“The situation in Haiti is catastrophic, and it grows worse by the day,” Russell told the U.N. Security Council. “Port-au-Prince is now almost completely sealed off because of air, sea and land blockades.”

Haiti is preparing for the installation of a nine-member council to take over from Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who pledged to step down on March 11 while stranded outside the country and under pressure from the United States.

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