Nearly 1.3mn Haitians have been driven from their homes by escalating gang violence, marking the highest level of internal displacement the Caribbean nation has ever experienced, the United Nations migration agency reported on June 11.

The International Organisation for Migration said the figure represents a 24% surge since December, with armed groups expanding their territorial control beyond the capital Port-au-Prince into previously stable regions across the country.

"Behind these numbers are so many individual people whose suffering is immeasurable; children, mothers, the elderly, many of them forced to flee their homes multiple times, often with nothing and now living in conditions that are neither safe nor sustainable," said Amy Pope, IOM's director general.

The displacement crisis now approaches the scale of Haiti's devastating 2010 earthquake, which left 1.5mn people homeless. However, unlike the natural disaster, the current emergency stems from sustained criminal violence that continues to worsen.

Metropolitan Port-au-Prince remains the epicentre of the violence, with gangs controlling an estimated 85 % of the capital through a powerful coalition known as Viv Ansanm. The alliance has systematically targeted hospitals, schools, and basic infrastructure, forcing thousands into overcrowded shelters with limited access to clean water, healthcare, or education.

The violence has increasingly spread beyond the capital's boundaries. In the Centre Department, north of Port-au-Prince, the number of displaced persons has more than doubled from approximately 68,000 to over 147,000 in recent months, particularly affecting towns such as Mirebalais and Saut-d'Eau.

According to The Miami Herald, gang attacks in the region forced the closure of the country's University Hospital of Mirebalais in April, whilst a municipal market was set ablaze earlier this week. The violence has also reached the rice-growing Artibonite department, where more than 92,000 people have been displaced in the community of Petite Rivière alone.

The humanitarian consequences extend far beyond displacement. More than 5.7mn Haitians are struggling with food insecurity, with some facing famine-like conditions. Gang-related violence has claimed over 1,600 lives this year, following more than 5,600 deaths in 2023.

The crisis has particularly affected children, with UNICEF reporting a surge in sexual violence against minors in February. Extreme poverty has pushed children into armed groups, with up to half of all gang members believed to be under 18, according to UN estimates.

Aid organisations are struggling to respond to the mounting crisis amid funding shortfalls. A UN humanitarian appeal for $908mn has secured only $75mn thus far, hampering relief efforts.

The IOM has provided assistance to over 20,000 people in the past month, distributing household essentials and more than three million litres of clean water, whilst offering mental health support to over 8,500 displaced persons.

"Without immediate funding and access, millions remain at risk," the agency warned, calling for sustainable solutions to address the root causes of displacement and provide alternatives to gang violence for young people.

The displacement sites themselves have proliferated rapidly, increasing from 142 in December to 246 currently, with the Centre Department alone hosting 85 makeshift camps.

International efforts to address Haiti's security crisis have included discussions of a multinational force, though concrete action remains limited as the violence continues to spread and deepen the country's humanitarian emergency.