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Crisis in Haiti: American Nurse and Daughter Abducted

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4.7

Andrew R. Michaud

• August 07, 2023

Port-au-Prince, Haiti - The fate of an American nurse and her daughter, who were kidnapped last week, remains uncertain as the U.S. State Department declined to comment on whether the abductors have made any demands.

Outrage over Growing Gang Violence

In response to yet another example of the escalating gang violence that has engulfed Port-au-Prince, approximately 200 Haitians took to the streets of the nation's capital on Monday to express their anger.

A Humanitarian Mission Cut Short

Alix Dorsainvil, a resident of New Hampshire, was working for El Roi Haiti, a nonprofit Christian ministry, when she and her daughter were forcibly taken on Thursday. She is the wife of Sandro Dorsainvil, the organization's founder.

According to witnesses, armed men stormed into the small brick clinic where Dorsainvil was working and abducted her. Lormina Louima, a patient waiting for a check-up, described the terrifying moment when one of the criminals brandished a gun and instructed her to remain calm.

"When I saw the gun, I was overcome with fear," Louima recounted. "I pleaded, 'I don't want to witness this, please let me go.'"

A Familiar Ransom Demand

Reports suggest that the unidentified assailants demanded a ransom of $1 million, a familiar tactic employed by the gangs that are inflicting terror and claiming lives among Haiti's already impoverished population. At least hundreds of kidnappings have occurred in the country this year alone, as documented by the local nonprofit Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights.

U.S. State Department Urges Caution

Coinciding with the abduction of Dorsainvil and her daughter, the U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory advising Americans to avoid visiting Haiti and instructed nonessential embassy staff to depart the country. This advisory was necessitated by the increasing number of kidnappings targeting U.S. citizens.

Cry for Peace

The violence plaguing the nation has sparked widespread anger among Haitians who yearn for a peaceful existence.

Protesters, mainly from the vicinity of El Roi Haiti's campus, which encompasses a medical clinic, a school, and other facilities, joined together in solidarity, marching through the sweltering streets while holding homemade signs written in Creole using red paint.

One sign read, "She is making a positive impact in the community, please set her free."

Speaking on behalf of the local residents, Jean Ronald emphasized how much the community has benefitted from the services provided by El Roi Haiti.

These organizations often serve as the primary institutions in lawless areas, but the escalating violence has forced many of them to shut down, leaving thousands of vulnerable families without access to vital services such as healthcare and education.

Doctors Without Borders Suspends Services After Kidnapping Incident

Earlier this month, Doctors Without Borders made a heartbreaking announcement - it had to suspend its services in one of its hospitals due to a terrifying incident. Approximately 20 armed men stormed into an operating room, snatching a patient and leaving the medical staff in shock.

The aftermath of the incident left the streets eerily quiet as protesters walked through the area where the patient, Alix Dorsainvil, was taken. The clinic where Dorsainvil worked remained closed, raising concerns among locals like Ronald who feared that the clinic might never reopen.

The local community relies heavily on the aid group's programs, and Ronald expressed his worries about the potential consequences if they were to shut down permanently. Unfortunately, the financial demands made by the abductors seem impossible to meet.

The US State Department has been monitoring the situation closely, with spokesman Matthew Miller emphasizing that the safety and security of American citizens overseas is their top priority. However, due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, Miller could not provide further details or answer key questions surrounding the incident.

Alix Dorsainvil is described as someone who fell in love with the people of Haiti after witnessing the country's resilience following the devastating 2010 earthquake. She graduated from Regis College in Massachusetts, which has a program supporting nursing education in Haiti. Her father, Steven Comeau, declined to comment when contacted in New Hampshire.

Let us join together in hope and solidarity as we await positive developments in this distressing situation.