American nurse and her child kidnapped in Haiti have been released, organization says

An American nurse and her child were released nearly two weeks after they were kidnapped in Haiti, a nonprofit connected to the woman said Wednesday.

“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,” the group said in a message on its website. “Today we are praising God for answered prayer!”

Alix Dorsainvil, a community health nurse married to the group’s founder and director, Sandro Dorsainvil, and the pair’s child, were kidnapped last month from the group’s location near Port-au-Prince.

The mother and child were serving in the community ministry when they were taken, the organization had said. The State Department said at the time that it was aware of reports of a kidnapping and was in contact with Haitian authorities.

A State Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

El Roi Haiti said there is still “much to process and to heal from” and asked for privacy for the family.

“We will continue to release information as appropriate on our website. Please keep checking back,” the group said. “And again, thanks for all of the prayers and support through this incredibly difficult time.”

The pair were kidnapped the same day the State Department ordered nonemergency U.S. government employees and families to leave Haiti “due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor health care infrastructure.”

The country, which has been ravaged this century by two devastating earthquakes, has struggled to recover from the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.

A United Nations report in June said that gangs had taken over a vast majority of Port au Prince’s street geography, prompting more than 165,00 Haitians to abandon their homeland. Some Haitians seeking refuge have camped out next to the U.S. Embassy in Port au Prince.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.