NEARLY 6,000 people in Haiti are starving, with nearly half the population of more than 11 million people experiencing crisis levels of hunger or worse, according to a damning new report.

Published on Monday, the report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said the number of Haitians facing crisis, emergency and famine levels of hunger has increased by 1.2 million in the past year to reach a total of 5.4 million.

Gang violence in the Caribbean nation has disrupted the transport of goods and prevents people from leaving their homes to buy food.