A US nurse and her child have been safely released after their kidnapping in Haiti two weeks ago, a faith-based humanitarian aid organisation where the nurse works said on Wednesday.
View shows the “El Roi”, a Christian community site where the American nurse Alix Dorsainvil used to work before being kidnapped with her child, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on 1st August, 2023. PICTURE: Reuters/Ralph Tedy Erol/File photo
“We are so thankful for everyone who joined us in prayer and supported us during this crisis,” humanitarian aid organization El Roi Haiti said in a statement.
The nurse, Alix Dorsainvil, and her child were kidnapped from El Roi Haiti’s campus near Port au Prince on 27th July.
Gang violence in Haiti has sent kidnappings surging, with nearly 300 cases confirmed in the first six months of 2023, almost as many as were documented for the entire previous year, the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, said on Monday.
In most cases, children and women are forcefully taken by armed groups and used for financial or tactical gain, UNICEF said.
The US State Department welcomed reports of their release but declined to comment further due to privacy concerns, a spokesperson said.
“We express our deepest appreciation to our Haitian, and US interagency partners for their assistance in facilitating their safe release,” they said.
