Haiti gangs have descended on the national library, looting documents of historical significance as the country sinks into chaos.
According to library director Dangelo Neard, Haiti's history as the Western Hemisphere's second-oldest nation is in peril.
"Our documentary collections are in danger. We have rare documents over 200 years old, with importance to our heritage, which risk being burned or damaged by bandits," he said.
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"I was told that the thugs are taking away the institution's furniture. They also ransacked the building's generator."
In the absence of a functioning government and ongoing delays in forming a promised transitional authority, armed groups dominate most of Port-au-Prince and large areas of the countryside.
Following many days of relative peace, assaults resumed in numerous neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince on Monday.
The attack on the National Library follows last week's attacks on two institutions, the Ecole Normale Superieure and the National School of Arts.
The National School of Arts "promotes the development of artists and the influence of Haitian art throughout the world," UNESCO, the UN's education, scientific, and cultural organization, said in a statement denouncing vandalism at the school.
Meanwhile, the Ecole Normale Superieure, which UNESCO described as the scene of an arson, is "one of the pillars" of the country's education system and the country's oldest teacher training school.
"These acts of vandalism, looting and arson against the country's educational institutions have devastating consequences for the future of Haitian society," UNESCO said.
