Assistance for Haitians Faces Setback After American Nurse and Daughter’s Kidnapping

41

The efforts aimed at assisting Haitians amidst the ongoing gang violence were dealt a severe blow after an American nurse and her young daughter from New Hampshire were abducted and remain missing as of Tuesday.

Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on July 7, 2021, Haitian gangs have been accruing power and are now believed to control around 80% of the capital. A significant increase in kidnappings has been recorded since January, considerably more than in past years. The rise in murders, sexual assaults, and abductions has incited violent reprisals from civilian vigilante groups.

About 200 Haitians took to the streets of the capital to express their outrage over the kidnapping of Alix Dorsainvil, an American nurse working for the nonprofit Christian organization El Roi Haiti. She and her daughter were taken captive on Thursday. Dorsainvil is married to El Roi Haiti’s founder, Sandro Dorsainvil.

Nonprofit organizations frequently serve as the sole institutions within Haiti’s lawless regions, and the escalating violence has compelled many to cease operations. This has left thousands of vulnerable families without basic services such as healthcare and education.

Doctors Without Borders announced earlier this month that it was ceasing operations in one of its hospitals after around 20 armed men invaded an operating room and abducted a patient.

Eyewitnesses recounted to The Big Big News that armed men stormed into the small brick clinic where Alix Dorsainvil was working last week and took her captive. Local community members allege the kidnappers have demanded a $1 million ransom, a common tactic employed by the gangs terrorizing Haiti’s underprivileged citizens. Local nonprofit Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights reports that hundreds of kidnappings have taken place this year alone.

On the same day of Dorsainvil and her daughter’s abduction, the U.S. State Department advised against traveling to Haiti and instructed nonemergency personnel to depart, due to the rampant kidnappings that frequently target U.S. citizens.

Kenya’s Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday that it had offered 1,000 police officers to aid in training the Haitian National Police to help restore order in the country and secure strategic facilities.

On Monday, protestors from the region around El Roi Haiti’s premises, including a medical clinic and a school, marched through the sweltering streets holding up Creole-written signs in red paint. One sign read, “She is doing good work in the community, free her.”

Jean Ronald expressed that his community has greatly benefitted from the services provided by El Roi Haiti. As the protestors navigated the area where Dorsainvil was abducted, the area was eerily silent. The clinic doors were closed, and the small brick building stood vacant. Ronald and others expressed concern that the latest kidnapping might result in the clinic’s permanent closure.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller declined to disclose on Monday whether the kidnappers had made any demands. Miller stated that they are maintaining regular contact with the Haitian authorities and will continue working with them and other U.S. government partners. However, due to an ongoing law enforcement investigation, he couldn’t provide more details.

In a video for El Roi Haiti’s website, Alix Dorsainvil characterized Haitians as joyous, lively, and loving people that she felt privileged to know. Dorsainvil is a graduate of Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, which offers a program supporting nursing education in Haiti.

El Roi Haiti revealed in a blog post on Monday that Alix Dorsainvil developed a deep affection for the people of Haiti following a visit after the devastating 2010 earthquake. The organization is working in conjunction with authorities in both nations to secure the release of her and her daughter.

“Please continue to pray with us for the protection and freedom of Alix and her daughter. As our hearts break for this situation, we also continue to pray for the country and people of Haiti and for freedom from the suffering they endure daily.”

This report includes contributions from AP journalists Megan Janetsky in Mexico City and Pierre Richard Luxama in Port-au-Prince.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Kidnapping in Haiti

More about Kidnapping in Haiti

• Situation in Haiti
• Assassination of Jovenel Moïse
• Work of Nonprofit Organizations in Haiti
• Kidnappings and Gang Violence in Haiti
• Role of Doctors Without Borders in Haiti
• El Roi Haiti’s work
• Kenya’s Foreign Ministry Aid
• Travel Advisories from the U.S. State Department
• Regis College’s Program for Haiti
• 2010 Earthquake in Haiti