After nearly two weeks in captivity, an American nurse and her daughter, who were kidnapped by gunmen near the capital of Haiti, were released today, the non-governmental organization that employs the 31-year-old woman announced today.

Expressing gratitude to all those who prayed for the victims of the kidnapping, the NGO “El Roi Haiti” says in a post on its website: “We confirm the safe release of our group member and friend Alice Dorsenville and her child, who were held hostage in Port -the-Prince’.

The American nurse – wife of the director of the NGO – and her daughter were kidnapped on July 27 from the university campus, near Port-au-Prince.

On the day of their abduction, the US government had ordered the departure of its non-essential personnel in Haiti, as well as their families. At the same time, he had appealed to American citizens to leave the island country “as soon as possible” due to the uncontrolled action of armed gangs.

About 300 people, mostly women and children, fell victim to kidnappers in Haiti in the first half of 2023 – a number significantly increased compared to the corresponding period last year – according to UNICEF data.

The impoverished Caribbean country is in the throes of economic and political crisis, while gangs control around 80% of the capital Port-au-Prince and crime has soared: armed robberies, kidnappings for ransom, rapes and murders are everyday phenomena.