A U.N. human rights expert says that gang violence is spreading across Haiti as a U.N.-backed mission targeting criminals remains underfunded and understaffed.

PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - The United Nations' expert on human rights in Haiti said on Friday that the situation in the conflict-hit Caribbean nation had worsened and efforts to rebuild security must be amplified as a security mission deadline fast approaches.

The Haitian people are suffering gravely at the hands of powerful criminal gangs, while an international security force and local police are badly lacking resources to protect them, a top UN expert said Friday.

The UN's human rights expert William O'Neill reports a worsening crisis in Haiti, emphasizing the need for immediate action to bolster security as the mission's deadline looms. Powerful gangs dominate,