United Nations evacuation flights are set to land in Panama City this week as the international organization removes staff from Haiti due to a sharp escalation in violence by armed gangs that have expanded their control over the capital Port-au-Prince.

They’re not doing this voluntarily,” said Geeta Narayan, UNICEF’s representative in Haiti. “Even when they are armed with weapons, the child here is the victim.”

The number of children being recruited by the country’s violent gangs has soared by 70% in the last year, says a new report.