Haitian bishops are appealing for peace after months of violence and a sharp deterioration in the situation as gangs deepen their control of the capital Port-au-Prince.

Archbishop Max Leroys Mésidor of Port-au-Prince, President of the Haitian Bishops' Conference, told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that the violence "has taken a serious turn" since the start of the month. 

The UN reports that tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in recent weeks and that supply chains are collapsing.

Children are especially vulnerable, as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that they account for over half of Haiti's 700,000 internally displaced people. According to UNICEF, gang recruitment of children has risen by 70 per cent in the last year.

In response to the escalation in violence, the UN has evacuated some staff from the country.

The bishops are calling for those in power to restore peace to the country. 

"Everyone is on their guard – we all feel threatened," said Archbishop Mésidor, who is based in Port-au-Prince. 

The bishops said in a statement that "Toussaint Louverture Airport is closed, cutting us off from the rest of the world", and that the capital is "paralysed". 

"We cannot hope to reap peace by sowing violence," it said. 

"Peace is above all a gift of God, but it equally demands the efforts of all people of goodwill."

They continued: "We appeal to those who are in charge of governing the city to act with determination to re-establish security and guarantee the protection of citizens, in line with their primary mission of serving the common good."

"We also invite members of the government, members of civil society and protagonists from all sides, armed or unarmed, to recognise that it is time to resolve this problem of ongoing violence.

"Something must be done."