17 American Christian Missionaries And 1 Canadian Kidnapped in Haiti

Kidnapping in Haiti is a big business

By: Maha Altamimi

According to a former field director for Christian Aid Ministries, seventeen American victims, including three children, and one Canadian were kidnapped by a gang in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Saturday.

The kidnapping occurred after the missionaries left an orphanage in the crisis-stricken Caribbean island. They were abducted off a bus bound for the airport to drop off some members of the group before heading on to another location in Haiti.

The Washington Post first reported an audio recording from the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries stated that “men, women, and children ” associated with the group were being detained by an armed gang. The field director’s family and one other man had stayed at the base and were not abducted. 

“The gang members would come to repentance and faith in Christ.” Christian Aid Ministries said

Outside of business hours, the United States Embassy in Haiti did not reply to a request for clarification. The Haitian police spokesperson said she was looking for more information about the incident.

For years Haiti has been in a state of political turmoil, kidnappings of children and adults by armed gangs that control half of the city has been the norm. Governments across the globe do not recommend going to Haiti due to safety concerns.