Haiti sees nearly 800 kidnappings so far this year, NGO says.

Nearly 800 kidnappings have been reported in Haiti so far this year, a local group says, as gangs expand their control amid political instability.

The Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights said 119 people were abducted in the first half of this month alone.

People from all walks of life, both local and foreign, have been targeted.

The most recent high-profile case involves 17 missionaries from the US and Canada, kidnapped last weekend.

The security situation in Haiti, which was already risky, has deteriorated significantly since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July.

Rival factions are fighting to gain control of the country in the face of a struggling police force. END.