With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
An American nurse and her young daughter are freed in Haiti after being held 2 weeks
In this undated photo provided by El Roi Haiti, Alix Dorsainvil, right, poses with her husband, Sandro Dorsainvil. Alix Dorsainvil, a nurse for El Roi Haiti, and her daughter were kidnapped July 27, the organization said.
(
El Roi Haiti via AP
)
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — American nurse Alix Dorsainvil and her daughter were freed Wednesday, nearly two weeks after they were kidnapped in Haiti's capital, according to aid organization El Roi Haiti.
The Christian group founded by Dorsainvil's husband asked that neither she nor her family be contacted: "There is still much to process and to heal from in this situation," the group said in a statement.
The group added that it confirmed the safe release "with a heart of gratitude and immense joy." No other details were immediately available, including whether any ransom was paid.
The U.S. State Department said it welcomed news that the two had been freed and thanked its Haitian and U.S. interagency partners for facilitating the release.
Sponsored message
"We have no greater priority than the safety and security of U.S. 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 told The Associated Press that 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 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 Moïse. Gang members regularly kill, rape and hold residents for ransom. A local nonprofit has documented 539 kidnappings since January, a significant rise over previous years.
On July 27, the U.S. State Department had ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Haiti, which remains under a "do not travel" advisory.
In a video posted on the El Roi Haiti website, Dorsainvil describes Haitians as "full of joy, and life and love," people she was blessed to know.
Sponsored message
In a blog post, El Roi Haiti said Dorsainvil fell in love with Haiti's people on a visit there after the devastating 2010 earthquake hit the Caribbean nation.
Dorsainvil graduated from Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, where a program supports nursing education in Haiti.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004))
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
