Haiti 17 missionaries and their relatives were abducted in Haiti, mostly from the United States

Several the missionaries and their families were abducted on Saturday in Haiti near the capital, Port-au-Prince. The news agencies AFP and Reuters, as well as the US newspaper, report on the matter The New York Times.

According to Reuters, the US Christian Aid Ministeries confirmed on Sunday night that there were 17 abducted employees and their relatives. Among those abducted are sixteen Americans and one Canadian.

The abducted group included five men, seven women and five children.

Abduction the details are unclear. According to The New York Times, the group was abducted by a local criminal organization as it was leaving an orphanage in Port-au-Prince. According to media reports, this is a criminal organization that has been carrying out abductions in the past.

According to local authorities, the missionaries and their loved ones were on the bus on their way to the airport at the time of the abduction, The New York Times reports. Part of the group was to stay at the airport and part to continue their journey to another destination in Haiti.

US authorities have so far not commented further on the situation to AFP.

“The well-being and security of U.S. citizens abroad is one of the State Department’s highest priorities,” a U.S. administration spokesman told AFP.

“We are aware of these reports and have nothing else to add at this time.”

Abductions are common in Haiti, which suffers from poverty and violence. President Jovenel Moïsen the assassination in July added to the unrest in the country.

The poorest areas of the capital, Port-au-Prince, have been under the control of armed gangs for years, and recently the gangs have expanded their power in and around the city.

According to a local human rights organization, more than 600 kidnappings were recorded in the first three quarters of 2021, up from 231 in the same period last year, AFP says.