(CMC) – An American nurse and her daughter kidnapped near Port-au-Prince Thursday morning remain missing, even as the State Department issued orders for United States of America (USA) officials and their families to leave Haiti amid worsening clashes between gangs and police.
The Christian humanitarian organisation El Roi Haiti; confirmed in a press release that 31-year-old American nurse Alex Dorsainvil and her daughter, who were living in Haiti, were kidnapped from the site of the non-governmental organisation.
“We can confirm that Alix Dorsainvil, the wife of our Director Sandro Dorsainvil, and their child were kidnapped on Thursday, July 27, in the morning at the NGO site near Port-au-Prince,” the statement said.
President of El Roi Haiti, Jason Brown, said Dorsainvil was their “school and community nurse [and] is known for her unwavering devotion to the suffering people, working tirelessly to relieve sick people in the name of Jesus.”
He said she “is a deeply loving and compassionate person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her family and friends.”
On the day of Dorsainvil’s kidnapping, the State Department issued a Level 4 (Don Not Travel) Travel Advisory on Haiti “due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor health care infrastructure.
“USA citizens in Haiti should depart Haiti as soon as possible by commercial or other privately available transportation options, in light of the current security situation and infrastructure challenges. USA citizens wishing to depart Port-au-Prince should monitor local news and only do so when considered safe.”
The department said it was issuing the advisory for USA citizens to leave Haiti as it could not guarantee that protection could be provided for them should they remain.
The Associated Press (AP) reported that a statement from the USA State Department said it was “aware of the kidnapping of two American nationals in Haiti” and “are in regular contact with the Haitian authorities and we continue to collaborate with them.”
