but no single recent event more consequential than the assassination of president jean maurice in july> haiti is in deep trouble. haiti is not at risk of becoming a forgotten crisis, it is a forgotten crisis. >> reporter: no elections have been held since 2016, so right now there is not one elected official at any level of government -- no president, no legislature, no local mayors, nothing. and in that vacuum, it is the gangs that now rule. heavily armed, violent, determined to seize power, they control the roads, terrorize the people, openly waging war on the streets. >> people said, the gangs are coming, now it's time to run for your life. >> reporter: some estimates say they control between 80 and 90% of the capital city. the united nations says from january to april, more civilians were killed in haiti than in ukraine. and this is where we are right now, driving through port-au-prince in an armored vehicle to a neighborhood. >> this is an area entirely controlled by armed groups. in fact, the only reason we can get in is because one of these gangs has given us permission to enter.