The murder of two US
missionaries
in
Haiti
this week by powerful
gangs
underscores the urgent need to deploy an
international security force
to the troubled Caribbean nation, the US department of state said.
Natalie and Davy Lloyd, a married missionary couple, were ambushed and killed Thursday night along with a third person as they left church. "Unfortunately, this serves as a reminder that the security situation in Haiti cannot wait - too many innocent lives are being lost," US department of state spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement released late Friday.
Haiti's turmoil has escalated following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, and gangs now control large parts of the capital.
More than half the population are going hungry and more than 300,000 people have been forced from their homes due to violence. Last year, the UN authorized a Kenyan-led security force to intervene, but its deployment has faced delays due to logistical and financial challenges.
English (US) ·