WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd October, 2021) The United States is working around the clock to return the Americans kidnapped in Haiti back home, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday.
"I think it's important to note ... we are working around the clock to bring these people home," Psaki said.
The latest in a series of kidnappings happened last weekend, when 17 Christian missionaries, namely 16 Americans and one Canadian, including five children, were abducted and taken hostage during a trip to an orphanage outside the capital city, Port-au-Prince. The missionaries were reportedly kidnapped by the notorious armed gang called 400 Mawozo, who are known for extorting businesses and ransoming kidnapped victims.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the kidnapping of missionaries was indicative of a larger problem, calling the current security situation in Haiti unsustainable as gangs dominate large parts of the country and national police cannot do anything about it.
The Centre for Analysis and Research in Human Rights reported last week that the number of kidnappings in Haiti tripped from July to September compared to previous months.
