Gangs in Haiti are recruiting children at unprecedented levels, with the number of minors targeted soaring by 70% in the past year, according to a report released Monday by UNICEF.

Currently, between 30% to 50% of all gang members in the violence-wracked country are children, according to the U.N.

“This is a very concerning trend,” said Geeta Narayan, UNICEF’s representative in Haiti.

The increase comes as poverty deepens and violence increases amid political instability, with gangs that…