The United Nations has reported that children now comprise about half of the membership of Haitian gangs , as violence and political and economic instability continue to roil the Caribbean nation.

On Thursday, the head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Catherine Russell, announced the “alarming” statistics, as she and other officials pushed for more support in Haiti.

“We estimate that children currently account for a staggering 50 percent of the members of the armed groups active today,” Russell said.

“Children are being forced into combat roles, directly participating in armed confrontations. Others are being used as couriers, lookouts, porters to carry weapons or are exploited for domestic labour.”

She added that the number of child recruits appears to be rapidly risi

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