PORT-AU-PRINCE — Armed groups belonging to the Viv Ansanm gang coalition launched further attacks on farming communities in Haiti's Artibonite and central regions on Wednesday, displacing thousands and disrupting harvests, humanitarian agencies said.

The International Organization for Migration reported that the assaults added to a displacement crisis that has already forced more than one million Haitians from their homes. Aid workers described families fleeing on foot as gunmen burned houses and seized control of agricultural land vital to the country's food supply.

The Artibonite Valley, long known as Haiti's rice-growing heartland, has become a repeated target as gangs expand beyond the capital. The United Nations World Food Programme has warned that nearly half of Haiti's population faces acute hunger, with rural violence choking off domestic food production.

The Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support mission, backed by the United Nations Security Council, has struggled to contain the coalition's advance amid chronic funding and personnel shortages. Human rights organisations, including the National Human Rights Defense Network, called for urgent international reinforcement and protection for civilians.

A UN humanitarian office spokesperson in Haiti said aid access to affected zones remained severely restricted. The office urged donors to accelerate contributions to an underfunded emergency appeal for the country.