A group of 17 US missionaries – including children – have been kidnapped in Haiti.
They were on their way home from building an orphanage in the capital Port-au-Prince, Christian Aid Ministries said.
A voice message sent to a number of religious missions by the Ohio-based foreign aid group said “men, women and children” were being held by an armed gang.
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It said: “The mission field director and the American embassy are working to see what can be done.
“Pray that the gang members will come to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.”
A US government spokesperson told the AP news agency: “The welfare and safety of US citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State.”
Haiti has seen a resurgence in the number of gang-related kidnappings after President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated at his home in July.
The country, the poorest country in the Americas, has also been wrestling with the aftermath of a major earthquake that killed more than 2,200 people the following month.
The New York Times said parts of the capital are now so dangerous that many residents have fled – and few people venture out during the day.
Gangs have demanded ransoms ranging from thousands of dollars to more than $1m, according to authorities.
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Last month, a deacon was killed in front of a church in Port-au-Prince and his wife kidnapped, one of dozens of people who have been abducted in recent months.
At least 328 kidnapping victims were reported to Haitian police in the first eight months of 2021, compared with a total of 234 for all of 2020, according to a recent UN report.
The instability has led thousands to flee and seek to reach the US, where they have been stopped at the border.
