UNITED NATIONS, May 11 (Xinhua) -- There was an alarming surge in gender-based violence in Haiti in the first quarter of 2026, UN humanitarians said Monday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said its partners recorded almost 2,000 incidents of gender-based violence, or about 21 cases per day, during the first three months of 2026.

More than 70 percent of the cases involved rape, a dramatic increase from the previous quarter, when 49 percent of incidents were cases of rape. Most of those cases were gang rape, reportedly perpetrated primarily by armed groups. Most survivors are women and girls, said OCHA in a news release.

This follows the sharp rise in gender-based violence last year, when OCHA's partners recorded over 8,000 incidents, a 25 percent increase over 2024.

Despite the growing crisis, OCHA said support services remain severely underfunded. So far this year, only 8 percent of the 15 million U.S. dollars required has been received. This is severely limiting survivors' access to emergency medical care within the critical 72-hour window after a sexual assault. It also limits psychosocial support and temporary emergency shelter.

"Partners on the ground report that with the resources available, some survivors have been able to access medical, psychosocial, and protection services such as safe spaces for women and girls. However, needs continue to far exceed current capacity," said OCHA.

The United Nations and its partners in Haiti stress the urgent need to scale up funding for health, protection services and psychosocial support, particularly in the areas most affected by violence.

Overall, Haiti faces a severe humanitarian crisis. Some 1.45 million people are internally displaced and close to 6 million people, half of Haiti's population, are acutely food insecure, said OCHA.