PANAMA CITY, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Escalating violence in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, has forced nearly 60,000 people to flee their homes in the past month, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Tuesday.
"Gang violence, displacement and instability have plagued Port-au-Prince and much of the country for years, with each wave of attacks worsening conditions in the already vulnerable communities," the IOM said in a statement.
The security situation has deteriorated sharply in recent months, as escalating attacks against civilians are eroding the few remaining gang-free areas, it added.
More than 1 million people are now displaced across Haiti -- a figure that has tripled in the past year.
"This surge in displacement highlights the relentless cycle of violence devastating the capital," said Gregoire Goodstein, IOM's chief of mission in Haiti. "We have never seen such a large movement of people in such a short time."
Many families, already living in precarious conditions from previous displacements, are being uprooted repeatedly and forced to flee with nothing, he noted.
The IOM pledged to support displaced Haitians but warned of major challenges. "Resources are stretched thin, and humanitarian access is increasingly restricted due to insecurity, leaving thousands without adequate protection or essential services," the organization said. ■
