American nurse Alix Dorsainvil and her daughter, who were kidnapped in Haiti nearly two weeks ago, have been freed, according to a statement released from the nonprofit Christian ministry El Roi Haiti.
"It is with a heart of gratitude and immense joy that we at El Roi Haiti confirm the safe release of our staff member and friend, Alix Dorsainvil, and her child who were held hostage in Port au Prince, Haiti. Today, we are praising God for answered prayer," the statement said.
The ministry requested that no one contact Dorsainvil or her daughter as there is much "to process and to heal from in this situation", but promised to share updates.
It has been 13 days since Dorsainvil and her daughter were kidnapped by armed men.
As CBN News reported, witnesses reported they saw Dorsainvil working in the small brick clinic on the ministry's campus in Port-Au-Prince when armed men kidnapped her on July 27.
Their captors demanded a ransom of $1 million.
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After Dorsainvil's abduction was announced, hundreds of Haitians took to the streets to protest the kidnapping. Protesters, largely from the area around El Roi Haiti's campus, which includes the medical clinic, a school, and more, echoed that call as they walked through the sweltering streets wielding cardboard signs written in Creole in red paint.
"She is doing good work in the community, free her," one sign stated.
The U.S. State Department had issued a "Do Not Travel" advisory for the nation and ordered non-emergency personnel to leave on the same day Dorsainvil was kidnapped.
More than 165,000 Haitians have fled their homes amid a surge in gang violence. Several thousand people — their faces covered to conceal their identities — marched through Haiti's capital on Monday demanding protection from violent gangs who are pillaging neighborhoods in the capital Port-au-Prince and beyond.
Gang warfare has increasingly plagued Haiti since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. The killing worsened criminal control of Haiti and the innocent are regularly killed, raped, or held for ransom.
It has been an "incredibly difficult time" for the ministry, but they are thanking everyone for their prayers.
"We are so thankful for everyone who joined us in prayer and supported us during this crisis," read the statement. "'El Roi' is a Hebrew name of the God of the Bible that means 'the God who sees.' It is with that vision that we now rest upon God's truth that, 'In his kindness, God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation' (1 Peter 5:10)".
"We praise God that He has proven Himself faithful as He restores, supports, and strengthens Alix and her family, the ministry of El Roi Haiti, and the community that Alix has impacted - and continues to impact - with her ministry in Haiti," it continued.
Dorsainvil is married to El Roi Haiti's founder, Sandro Dorsainvil, and the child is their daughter.
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