Current:Home > MarketsAmerican nurse and her young daughter freed, nearly two weeks after abduction in Haiti -FundPrime
American nurse and her young daughter freed, nearly two weeks after abduction in Haiti
View
Date:2025-04-16 00:39:53
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — 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.
“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.
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.
veryGood! (73)
Related
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- Red Lobster's 'Endless Shrimp' deal surpassed expectations, cost company millions
- Connecticut woman sues Chopt restaurants after allegedly chewing on a portion of a human finger in a salad
- Sean 'Diddy' Combs temporarily steps down as chairman of Revolt following sexual assault lawsuits
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Celebrate the Holidays With These “Up and Coming” Gift Ideas From Real Housewives' Jessel Taank
- A judge awards Aretha Franklin's properties to her sons, citing a handwritten will
- Surge in respiratory illnesses among children in China swamping hospitals
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- Activist who acknowledged helping flip police car during 2020 protest sentenced to 1 year in prison
Ranking
- Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
- Ransomware attack prompts multistate hospital chain to divert some emergency room patients elsewhere
- Critically endangered Sumatran rhino named Delilah gives birth to 55-pound male calf
- How can we break the cycle of childhood trauma? Help a baby's parents
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- Georgia’s state taxes at fuel pumps to resume as Brian Kemp’s tax break ends, at least for now
- Powerball winning numbers for Nov. 27 drawing: Check your tickets for $374 million jackpot
- Storm closes schools in Cleveland, brings lake-effect snow into Pennsylvania and New York
Recommendation
Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
U.S. military flight with critical aid for Gaza arrives in Egypt
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's Son James Wilkie Shares Rare Family Photo
Beyoncé was a 'serial people pleaser.' Is that really such a bad thing? Yes.
Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
Opening statements to begin in the final trial in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain
Coal power, traffic, waste burning a toxic smog cocktail in Indonesia’s Jakarta
Young man gets life sentence for Canada massage parlor murder that court declared act of terrorism