UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP)— Haiti’s capital could become overrun by criminal gangs if the international community does not step up aid to a UN-backed security mission to the Caribbean nation, United Nations chief Antonio Guterres warned in a report Wednesday.

More money, equipment and personnel are needed for the Kenya-led force, Guterres said, adding that any further delays risk the “catastrophic” collapse of Haiti’s security institutions and “could allow gangs to overrun the entire metropolitan area” of Port-au-Prince.

The UN secretary-general complained that the mission is “still not deployed to full strength,” limiting its capacity to support the national police.

“Time is of the essence,” Guterres wrote, adding that he is “appalled at the brutality and scale of the violence that continues to be committed against communities by armed gangs.”

The UN Security Council gave the green light in October 2023 to the multinational security support mission designed to support Haiti’s authorities in their fight against gang violence.

But since then, just under 800 of the 2,500 police officers hoped for have been deployed.

Gang violence killed at least 5,601 people in Haiti last year, about a thousand more than in 2023, the UN said. More than a million Haitians have been forced to flee their homes, three times as many as a year ago.

In the report, Guterres said setbacks in Haiti’s political process have “contributed to a climate in which these atrocities have become possible.”

Haiti currently has no president or parliament and is ruled by a transitional body, which is struggling to manage extreme violence linked to criminal gangs, poverty and other challenges.