Signage for the U.S. embassy in Haiti.Photo:CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty
CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty
An American nurse and her child were kidnapped in Haiti on Thursday, according to the nonprofit organizationEl Roi Haiti.
Dorsainvil and her child were abducted “from our campus near Port au Prince while serving in our community ministry,” per a blog post from El Roi Haiti, which noted that it was “grateful for the outpouring of prayers, care, and support for our colleague.”
“Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family,” El Roi Haiti noted. “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.”
“Thank you for your support and compassion during this on-going situation. We would request that no attempts be made to contact the family for comment at this time. We will continue to update and share information as we can on our website.”
El Roi Haiti also asked those concerned to “refrain from speculating on social media about this situation in order to protect Alix and her child during this time.”
A State Department spokesperson has since told PEOPLE that it was aware of the kidnapping reports of two U.S. citizens in Haiti and has been “in regular contact with Haitian authorities and will continue to work with them and our U.S. government interagency partners.”
“The U.S. Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas,” the spokesperson continued.
“Kidnapping cases often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed during kidnappings,” the alert noted. “Victim’s families have paid thousands of dollars to rescue their family members.”
According to the El Roi Haiti website, Dorsainvil’s official title is “community health nurse,” and the New Hampshire native lives in Haiti and works out of a local school to assist children with a makeshift clinic, she said in a video on the website. “Haitians are such a resilient people,” she said. “They’re full of joy and life and love and I’m so blessed to be able to know so many amazing Haitians.”
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AsNBC Newsnotes, citing aUnited Nations reportfrom June, more than 165,00 Haitians have left as “kidnappings and gender-based violence have become part of the daily lives of Haitians, forcing locals to flee their homes,” with others heading to the U.S. Embassy in Port au Prince while seeking safety.
source: people.com
