Haitian officials are in touch with the US State Department about the kidnapping, the country's foreign minister, Claude Joseph, told CNN.

The missionaries were traveling by vehicle Saturday to Titanyen, north of the capital Port-au-Prince, after visiting an orphanage in the Croix des Bouquets area.

They were abducted along the route between the two places.

One of the abducted missionaries, an American citizen, posted a call for help in a WhatsApp group as the kidnapping was occurring, The Washington Post reported, quoting a person familiar with the abduction who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

"Please pray for us!!

We are hostage in our own country," Changeux said.

Calls for the strike came just before the missionaries were reported kidnapped by gang members in Haiti.

Turbulent year

On Friday, the UN Security Council voted to extend the mandate of the UN mission in Haiti by nine months, until July 15, 2022.

At the UNSC meeting Friday, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, "As we all know, the past year has been especially turbulent in Haiti.