Amidst the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Haiti, the United States State Department has reported the abduction of an American nurse and her daughter. The victims, Alix Dorsainvil and her daughter, were taken from the El Roi campus in Port-au-Prince, where Alix worked with the El Roi Haiti aid group, which operates a school and ministry.
A devoted Christian originally from New Hampshire, Mrs. Dorsainvil had served as a nurse in her home state before relocating to Haiti to work as a community nurse for El Roi. Her husband, Sandro Dorsainvil, who is fluent in English and Spanish, is the director of El Roi and has a background in the United States, having grown up in the violent and impoverished Cite Soleil area of Port-au-Prince.
Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, has been plagued by gang control, leading to terrorizing acts like kidnappings, rape, and murder, causing significant concern. In response to the kidnapping reports, the State Department is closely collaborating with Haitian authorities and other US government inter-agency partners. It’s worth noting that kidnapping incidents in Haiti are widespread, often involving ransom negotiations, and have resulted in physical harm to victims, including US citizens.
International organizations are expressing their concerns over the escalating violence and abductions in Haiti. The National Human Rights Defense Network has reported an upsurge in killings and kidnappings, prompting discussions by the UN Security Council to address the worsening conditions in the country. As a result of the dangerous situation, a travel warning for the region has been issued.
