By: Staff Writer
August 1, 2023
The United States is warning its citizens about travelling to Haiti as a result of the recent kidnapping of an American nurse and her daughter.
Alix Dorsainvil and her young daughter were abducted on Thursday morning from the campus of the nonprofit El Roi Haiti, where Ms Dorsainvil works. The organisation runs a school and ministry in Port au Prince.
Ms Dorsainvil is the wife of the director of El Roi, Sandro Dorsainvil. “Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti to be her home and the Haitian people to be her friends and family,” said El Roi president and co-founder Jason Brown in a statement. “Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering, as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus.”
The US State Department said that it is aware of the kidnapping reports. The State Department has issued a “do not travel” caution, stating that kidnapping is “common in Haiti, and victims frequently include US citizens.”
“We are in regular contact with Haitian authorities and will continue to work with them and our US government interagency partners,” said a spokesperson.
Ms Dorsainvil in a video released on El Roi’s website said she was urged to join the mission to help Haiti by her husband. “Sandro invited me to the school to do some nursing for the kids, he said that was a big need they had,” Ms Dorsainvil said. “When I got there, there were so many cases … Haitians are such resilient people, they’re full of joy and life and love.”
Kidnappers may use sophisticated planning or take advantage of unplanned opportunities, and even convoys have been attacked,’ the State Department said. ‘Kidnapping cases often involve ransom negotiations and US citizen victims have been physically harmed during kidnappings. Victim’s families have paid thousands of dollars to rescue their family members.’
El Roi Haiti asked the public to ‘refrain from speculating on social media’ in order to protect Dorsainvil and her child.
Ms Dorsainvil attended Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts. The university’s president Toni Hays said that service had been important to Ms Dorsainvil while she was a student at the school.
“It doesn’t surprise me that Alix chose to get involved in this type of service work,” Mr Hays told WMUR-TV. “She was amazing. She was passionate, she was compassionate.”