PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC)—For millions of Haitians, daily life has become a struggle to stay safe, find enough food and simply move around their own neighbourhood.

Powerful armed gangs control large parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and continue expanding into other parts of the country. Families are fleeing their homes in record numbers, schools and health centres have closed, and humanitarian agencies are struggling to meet soaring needs as funding runs dangerously low.

Over the last weekend, the Northern Department Police (DDN) said that for the period June 1 to July 17, several gang members were fatally wounded during exchanges of fire with the police, and a quantity of firearms seized.