Americas

US nurse and young daughter freed after abduction in Haiti

Alix Dorsainvi and child taken hostage by gang in impoverished country’s capital Port-au-Prince

Alix Dorsainvil poses with her husband Sandro Dorsainvil. Photograph: El Roi Haiti via AP

Wed Aug 9 2023 - 16:27

US nurse Alix Dorsainvil and her daughter have been freed – nearly two weeks after they were kidnapped in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince , according to aid organisation El Roi Haiti.

El Roi Haiti, a Christian group founded by Ms Dorsainvil’s husband, confirmed the safe release “with a heart of gratitude and immense joy”. No other details were immediately available, including whether any ransom was paid.

“There is still much to process and to heal from in this situation,” the group said in a statement.

The US State Department said it welcomed news that the two had been freed and thanked its Haitian and US interagency partners for facilitating the release.

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“We have no greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas,” the agency said. “As you can imagine, these individuals have been through a very difficult ordeal, both physically and mentally.”

Officials provided no other details.

Witnesses said armed men had seized the New Hampshire native and her young daughter in late July from a clinic in a gang-controlled area of Port-au-Prince where Ms Dorsainvil works.

The Christian group has offered medical care, education and other basic services to people in the country’s poorest areas.

Gang warfare has increasingly plagued Haiti since the 2021 assassination of president Jovenel Moise. Gang members regularly kill, rape and hold residents for ransom. A local non-profit has documented 539 kidnappings since January, a significant rise over previous years.

On July 27th, the US State Department had ordered the departure of non-emergency US government personnel from Haiti, which remains under a “do not travel” advisory. - AP

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