Irish woman Gena Heraty and all those abducted with her have been released following their kidnapping in Haiti earlier this month, her family has confirmed.
Gena Heraty, a native of Westport in Co Mayo, who is in her mid-50s, oversees the Sainte-Helene orphanage in the commune of Kenscoff, about 10km southeast of the capital, Port au Prince.
She was abducted along with seven others and a child from the orphanage in Kenscoff on 3 August.
The facility is operated by the humanitarian organisation “Nos Petits Freres et Soeurs” (“Our Little Brothers and Sisters”).
A statement was released by Ms Heraty’s family today following her release: “We are relieved beyond words. We are so deeply grateful to everyone, in Haiti and internationally, who has worked tirelessly over these terrible weeks to help secure their safe return.”
Ms Heraty’s family thanked Tánaiste Simon Harris and his team at the Department of Foreign Affairs, including Irish Ambassador to the US Geraldine Byrne Nason, for their support.
“The global outpouring of concern, love, prayers, and solidarity shown for Gena and to us by friends, neighbours, communities, colleagues, and indeed those with no connection to us at all has been a huge source of comfort and support,” Ms Heraty’s family added.
“For now our priority is Gena – her health, protection, and privacy – and those in her care. We kindly ask that the media respect the need for privacy as all those involved recover from this traumatic ordeal.
“We continue to hold Haiti in our hearts and hope for peace and safety for all those who are affected by the ongoing armed violence and insecurity there,” the statement from Ms Heraty’s family concluded.
The Tánaiste welcomed the news of the release of Ms Heraty and all of the Haitian nationals.
He thanked Ms Heraty’s colleagues at Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs humanitarian organisation, local community representatives, Haitian authorities, An Garda SÃochána, UN and European partners, and officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their “tireless work to achieve this result”.
“This has of course been an extraordinarily difficult and stressful situation for the Heraty family.
“I wish to pay tribute to their resilience and determination to support Gena and her fellow captives over these past difficult weeks,” Mr Harris said.
“Gena is a respected humanitarian and deeply courageous person who has dedicated her life to supporting the most vulnerable people in Haiti.
“This is a timely moment to recognise the work of all Irish humanitarians and missionaries working in challenging contexts and providing life-saving support in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and beyond.”
Mr Harris said his department will continue to provide all possible support to those released as they recover.