A general view of Port-au-Prince, is seen from the outskirts of Port-au-PrincePORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) -As many as 17 American Christian missionaries and their families, including children, were kidnapped on Saturday by gang members in Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince, U.S. media reported. The kidnapping happened after the missionaries left an orphanage in the crisis-engulfed Caribbean nation, the New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/16/world/americas/missionaries-kidnap-haiti.html and CNN https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/17/americas/haiti-american-missionary-kidnap-intl-hnk/index.html said. The U.S. Embassy in Haiti did not respond to a request for comment outside business hours. A surge in gang violence has displaced thousands and hampered economic activity in the poorest country in the Americas. Violence spiraled after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July and an earthquake in August which killed over 2,000 people.

Source: Washington Post May 12, 2024 15:56 UTC