(NewsNation) — An American nurse and her daughter have been freed from captivity in Haiti after being kidnapped and held for ransom.
El Roi Haiti confirmed that Alix Dorsainvil and her daughter were released, though the organization asked for privacy for Dorsainvil and asked people not attempt to contact her.
Dorsainvil was working as a nurse at El Roi in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which is located in an area known for gang activity. El Roi is a Christian organization which operates a school and ministry in the area, as well as providing medical care. Dorsainvil is married to the organization’s founder, Sandro Dorsainvil.
Alix Dorsainvil and her young daughter were taken hostage by armed men, then held for a ransom of $1 million.
The U.S. State Department has issued warnings of widespread violence and kidnapping in Haiti and has issued a level four warning urging Americans not to travel to the island.
Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, experts say gangs have seized control of up to 80% of Port-au-Prince, killing, raping and sowing terror in communities already suffering endemic poverty.
From January to March, more than 1,600 people have been reported killed, injured or kidnapped, a nearly 30% increase compared with the last three months of 2022, according to the newest U.N. report.
The violence has left many in Haiti fearful of leaving their own homes. Last fall, top officials requested the deployment of an international armed force to help combat the violence. The U.N. Security Council has not authorized the effort.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.