A Washington family trapped in war-torn Haiti says they have been abandoned by the US government and left hiding near the airport surrounded by fighting. 

Haiti descended into chaos this month as gangs seized control and overran prisons releasing thousands of inmates who went on a killing spree and took over public buildings, shutting down travel from the country. 

Missionary Jill Dolan who runs the Love a Neighbor orphanage in rural Haiti was trapped with three of her children, aged 14 to 20, when fighting broke out. 

They say they've had little help from the US government, despite public assurances from the State Department that it is doing everything it can to evacuate stranded citizens. 

'We hear a lot of gunfire, generally at night. We hear a lot... There's no way out,' Dolan told CBS. 

The government is yet to address exactly how many Americans remain stranded. Officials are considering housing refugees in Guantanamo Bay if there is a mass exodus.