Portugal Colonial - IOM chief urges world to step up aid for Haiti

"This is one of the most complex and urgent crises in the world, with implications for regional and global stability," International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General Amy Pope said after wrapping up a visit to the Caribbean nation.

The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti is politically unstable and swaths of the country, including parts of the capital, are under the control of rival armed gangs.

The gangs run protection rackets and have carried out murders, rapes and kidnaps for ransom.

The armed groups have been battling for control of Port-au-Prince and clashes have intensified in recent weeks as the rival gangs attempt to establish new territories.

At least 1,518 people were killed and 572 injured in Haiti during the first three months of this year, due to attacks by gangs, security force operations and violence by self-defense groups, according to the UN.

"A mother told me she had fled her neighborhood three times in two months. She was living under a tarp with her children, with no idea where they could go next," Pope said.

"These are not just statistics -- they are lives caught in crisis over and over."

Pope held talks with Haiti's foreign minister and other officials during her visit, IOM said in a statement.

Pope hailed the "remarkable strength" of Haitians, but warned that the international community needed to do more.

"Relying on resilience alone is not a strategy. The Haitian people need support -- and they need it now," she said.

B.Godinho--PC