THE number of children displaced by violence in Haiti has nearly doubled to 680,000, according to a new Unicef report released on Wednesday.

The report by the United Nations body warns minors are increasingly facing hunger, violence and recruitment by armed groups in the Caribbean nation.

Overall, about six million Haitians — half the country’s population — need humanitarian assistance, including more than 3.3m children, Unicef said.

“Without decisive action, the future of an entire generation is at stake,” the report stated.

Gang violence has displaced a record 1.3m Haitians in recent years, with many cramming into makeshift shelters after their communities were razed.

About 5.7m people, including more than 1m children, are facing acute hunger.

“This has to change,” said Geraldine Matha-Pierre, mother of two boys. “I’m hungry. My kids are hungry.”

The agency noted that its humanitarian appeal for children in Haiti is only 13 per cent funded, and that programs to protect, feed and provide medical assistance to minors are limited.

“Children in Haiti are experiencing violence and displacement at a terrifying scale,” said Catherine Russell, Unicef’s executive director.

“Each time they are forced to flee, they lose not only their homes, but also their chance to go to school and simply to be children.”