Alix Dorsainvil, an American nurse working for a Christian nonprofit, and her young child have been freed after a kidnapping incident lasting approximately two weeks in Haiti.
“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, Haiti,” El Roi Haiti, the nonprofit where Dorsainvil worked, said in a statement.
Originally from New Hampshire, Dorsainvil had been living and working in Haiti for a substantial period. She served as a school and community nurse for the religious organization and is married to its director.
The incident occurred on July 27 when armed men stormed El Roi Haiti’s campus near Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, and forcibly took Dorsainvil from her clinic, where she was caring for patients. Witnesses described the scene, with one patient recounting how a gunman ordered her to relax at gunpoint. The gang members responsible reportedly demanded a $1 million ransom, leaving the community and her family concerned for their safety.
The immediate aftermath prompted the U.S. State Department to issue a travel advisory, warning Americans not to travel to Haiti and urging U.S. citizens and non-emergency government employees to leave the country as soon as possible.
“Kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include U.S. citizens,” the State Department said in its advisory. “Kidnappers may use sophisticated planning or take advantage of unplanned opportunities, and even convoys have been attacked. Kidnapping cases often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed during kidnappings.”
