The leader of global humanitarian aid organization UNICEF said the chaos and turmoil triggered by gang leader-turned-warlord Barbeque in Haiti bears a striking resemblance to a famous post-apocalyptic film.
Sitting down with Face the Nation's Margaret Brennan Sunday, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell spoke candidly to the crises Haitians have been faced with - including hunger and poverty - following an escalation in violence late sparked by Jimmy "Barbeque" Chérizier, in February, and the challenges of getting them aid.
"Many people there are suffering from serious hunger and malnutrition and we're not able to get enough aid to them," Russell said. "It's like a scene out of Mad Max. Honestly, that's what it seems like. Gangs - vigilantes responding to the gangs."
The uptick in violence and pandemonium prompted Prime Minister Ariel Henry to announce his resignation last week. He said he'd remain at the helm of leadership until a transitional council steps in, Headlines and Global News previously reported.
During a visit to the Caribbean nation several months ago - even then - Russell said she witnessed the crumbling of its government, calling it a "horrific situation."
"They've (the gangs) basically taken over the capital, they've taken over the airport," she said. "What that means for people, is that we can't get aid in again, it's very difficult for us to do that."
The situation in Haiti is "the worst that anyone has seen in decades," claimed Russell.
On Monday, at least a dozen people were found murdered in neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the Associated Press reported.
According to Reuters, gang violence was the cause of nearly 5000 deaths in Haiti, last year.
