UNITED NATIONS (CMC)— The United Nations (UN) says more than  20,000 people have fled their homes across Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, in just four days amid escalating gang violence.

It added that more than 17,000 people are seeking shelter in 15 displacement sites as critical supply chains collapse.

The UN said Haiti has faced instability since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and that the current wave of displacement, the largest since August 2023, comes as armed gangs who have joined forces strengthen their grip on the capital, leaving the police overwhelmed and underequipped.

The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) has warned that the capital faces near-total paralysis following the incident last week, when commercial aircraft were reportedly fired on, hitting a United States-based Spirit Airlines jet as it was landing at the national airport, injuring a flight attendant.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has banned flights to Haiti for at least the next 30 days.

“International flights remain grounded, compounding the beleaguered nation’s sense of isolation. With the main seaport access restricted and roads controlled by gangs, essential supplies cannot reach the vulnerable population,” said the IOM.

IOM’s Chief in Haiti, Grégoire Goodstein, said the isolation of Port-au-Prince is amplifying an already dire humanitarian situation.

“With only 20 per cent of Port-au-Prince accessible, humanitarian workers face immense challenges in reaching affected populations,” he added.

The UN said criminal groups in the capital continue their expansion, taking control of additional neighborhoods and further isolating communities.

It said the national police force, grappling with a severe lack of resources, remains overstretched and faces significant challenges in containing the escalating violence.

The UN said the toll of gang-related violence has reached catastrophic levels, with the UN human rights office (UNHCR) reporting nearly 4,000 gang related deaths in 2024 alone.

The UN said gender-based violence, including sexual violence used as a weapon of terror, has reached “alarming levels” and that women and children bear a disproportionate burden of the crisis, with 94 per cent of displaced women and girls at heightened risk of violence.

Despite severe access constraints, the UN said IOM continues to provide life-saving assistance through mobile medical clinics, rental subsidies for displaced persons, protection of services, psychological support, water delivery to displacement sites and supports at border crossings.

The UN said IOM maintains operations throughout the country, including migrant protection centers and community stabilization projects.

IOM emphasized the importance of upholding humanitarian principles amid the escalating crisis and called on all parties to respect the neutrality and impartiality of aid operations, allowing unimpeded access to those in need and safeguarding the integrity of humanitarian assistance.

The UN said the humanitarian response faces a severe funding shortfall, with the UN’s US$674 million response plan critically underfunded at just 42 per cent.

“Without immediate international support, the suffering will worsen exponentially,” Goodstein stressed.