American nurse and daughter kidnapped in Haiti freed after two weeks in captivity
An American nurse and her young daughter who had been kidnapped in Haiti were freed Wednesday, two weeks after the ordeal began.
Alix Dorsainvil, 31, and her daughter were snatched July 27 while working for an aid organization, El Roi Haiti, founded by Dorsainvil’s husband.
“It is with a heart of gratitude and immense joy that we at El Roi Haiti confirm the safe release of our staff member and friend, Alix Dorsainvil and her child who were held hostage in Port au Prince,” El Roi Haiti said Wednesday in a statement.
The organization did not share any details surrounding Dorsainvil’s release, instead asking “that no attempts be made to contact Alix or her family at this time.”
Dorsainvil is a New Hampshire native who has been working at El Roi Haiti for years alongside her husband, Sandro. People in Port-au-Prince respected the group, to the point that 200 residents marched through the streets in protest after Dorsainvil and her daughter were kidnapped, according to CBS News.
Port-au-Prince remains one of the most dangerous cities in the world. In July alone, 83 people were kidnapped, according to human rights observers.
The U.S. State Department has issued a “Do Not Travel” notice for Haiti, and nonessential personnel have been evacuated from the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince. Gunfire outside the embassy shuttered operations on Tuesday, and restrictions remained in place Wednesday.
Street gangs began marauding through Port-au-Prince shortly after twin disasters in the summer of 2021. In July of that year, President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated at his home in the city. Just over a month later, a massive earthquake devastated the entire nation.
“Kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include U.S. citizens,” the State Department warned, noting that “kidnappers may use sophisticated planning ... and even convoys have been attacked.”
In October 2021, 17 American and Canadian missionaries were grabbed off the streets. They made a daring escape to freedom two months later.
In March 2023, a Florida couple was kidnapped in Port-au-Prince. Jean-Dickens Toussaint and Abigail Michael Toussaint were held for nearly one month before their family paid thousands of dollars in ransom.
With News Wire Services
