Hunger soars and aid dwindles as gangs in Haiti suffocate the country

By EVENS SANON and DÁNICA COTO
Associated Press

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Some 1.4 million Haitians are on the verge of famine, and more than 4 million require food aid, sometimes eating only once a day or not at all. Officials are trying to rush food, water and medical supplies to makeshift shelters and other places as gang violence suffocates lives across Port-au-Prince and beyond, with many trapped in their homes. Only a handful of aid organizations have been able to restart operations since Feb. 29. That’s when gangs began attacking key state institutions, burning police stations and storming the country’s two main prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates. They’ve also been firing at the main international airport, which remains closed and leaves few alternatives for getting in or out of the country.