Cholera - Haiti Observer Blog

In a bold move, Haitian Prime Minister Lamothe took the UN to task regarding its culpability in the outbreak of cholera in Haiti, following the 2010 earthquake. He cited the statistics of nearly 9,000 Haitians, who lost their lives to cholera, with another 600,000 or more critically ill.

He made his appearance before the UN General Assembly to specifically confront the issue and ask the UN to step up its efforts to help Haiti stamp out "the world's worst cholera outbreak". To his credit, Lamothe made a proposal to create a joint commission to investigate the methods and applications that would absolutely end the epidemic for good.

Read more →  

Amidst continued denial by the United Nations and its representatives of their culpability in the devastating cholera outbreak that ravaged what was left of Haiti after the destruction caused by the 2010 earthquake, they remain vocal about their intent to help the country eliminate the illness, from the position of unassociated good samaritan. Taking this stance, the U.N. has said it is prepared to help Haiti fight the epidemic and promised to do so by raising, at every possible opportunity, the $450 million it will need to keep this promise. The problem is that, following the announcement made in the latter part of 2012 by the U.N.'s General Secretary, Ban Ki-moon, less than half of the needed amount has actually been raised, while cholera is still alive and claiming lives in Haiti. The hope which a planned donor meeting of the highest level to raise funds was to bring has been put on hold until 2014.

Read more →  

U.S. Congress member, Maxine Waters, recently sent UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, a letter signed by 18 congressional members, regarding the UN's inadequate response to the cholera epidemic in Haiti.

Waters targeted several issues concerning the UN's handling of the epidemic. Overall, Congress is disappointed at the slow pace of recovery, with the UN spending only $23.5 million dollars, or 1% of the $2.2 billion, required by the Hispaniola Initiative. The funding initiative has as its goals making decontaminated drinking water more available, building more sanitation-treatment centers, and ending the epidemic over the next decade.

Ban Ki-moon countered the charges, claiming the UN has provided $140 million-plus dollars in proactively treating victims of the epidemic over three years. He says the level of infection has been lowered 90%, and the death toll stands at only 1% currently.

Read more →  

Congresswoman Maxine Waters requested United Nations Secretary General, Honorable Ban Ki-moon to use his influence and his office to make United Nations take the responsibility for cholera introduction in Haiti. This request was sent using a letter that was signed by 19 Congress Members. The letter expressed concerns about the inadequacy of progress made in effectively dealing with cholera epidemic in Haiti. Maxine Waters, through her letter, requested Ban Ki-moon to make United Nation commit towards providing necessary efforts and resources required for supporting the efforts made in response to the cholera epidemic. It is to be noted that Congresswoman Maxine Waters is a very strong advocate of the people of Haiti in U.S. Congress.

Read more →  

Following the warning from the Ministry of Public Health and Population in the Dominican Republic regarding the reappearance of avian flu (H1N1 virus) in their country, the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Haiti took its own precaution to protect the Haitian population.

Effective immediately, the Haitians government has instituted a ban. Importers and retailers of meat products, particularly poultry, eggs and live animals potentially infected or carriers of the Avian Flu from the Dominican Republic are prohibited from carrying these products until further order.

Can Haiti afford to be affected by Avian Flu? As we are currently dealing with the Cholera epidemic inherited from the Nepalese contingent of UN peacekeeping MINUSTAH, Haiti is faced with a new health threat.

Read more →  

The former Prime Minister of Jamaica, P J Patterson has cried shame on the United Nations and their recent invocation of their right to legal immunity after the deaths of thousands of Haitians from a cholera outbreak caused by UN aid workers on site in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

The decision by the UN, announced weeks ago by the Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, has been met with censure by many as the organization, in taking this step after a suit was filed against them, has denied the families of the thousands who have suffered any claim to damages sustained from the epidemic.

Read more →  

Against the wishes of many, Haiti, led by then president René Préval, began dealings with Cuba and Fidel Castro. As part of a trilateral cooperate between the two countries and Venezuela, Castro facilitated an aid package to Haiti that would include oil and energy solutions, medical and disaster support, education, etc.

During Préval's first turn as president, after the September 1998 hurricane Georges had ravaged the country and left a cholera outbreak, 500 Cuban doctors were sent to give aid. Described by Préval as second only to God in their healing abilities, the gift was looked on suspiciously by others claiming the intention was to either steal jobs or spread the 'communist influence'. Following Rene Preval's personal experience of the Cuban health system and a second visit of the doctors in the wake of 2010's cholera outbreak, Préval awarded the Cuban Medical Brigade, and by extension Castro, with the country's highest honor, the National Order of Honor and Merit in the grade of Grand Officer. Hundreds of thousands had been infected; the death toll nearly 5000, but the efforts of the Cuban doctors had saved the lives of over 73,000 Haitians.

Read more →  

After a widely criticized decision made by the United Nations to invoke its immunity after a suit filed in the wake of the 2010 Cholera outbreak in Haiti, that has caused the deaths of over 8,000 Haitians, some say the most disappointing thing is the brevity of the official dismissal. The invocation of the UN's right to legal protection within a country in which it operates was a one-sentence cap to three years of illness and death, including the 15-month effort to gain compensation for those affected by the outbreak said to have been caused by UN peacekeepers from Nepal who entered the country after the January 2010 earthquake to offer aid to victims.

Read more →  

Regardless of what angle you are looking at it, we all can agree there has been great injustice done to the Haitian population with the introduction of the Cholera epidemic in Haiti by the UN. May be some are still ensure on whether or not this illness was a gift from the UN to us. In this case let's analyze the facts. Several independent studies support this claim. The only group so far who would not admit to that is the United Nations themselves.

Suspecting that their claim of not being involved "Ni De Pres or Ni de Loin" with the Cholera outbreak in Haiti, last week, the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, rejected a legal claim for compensation filed in 2011 on behalf of cholera victims in Haiti, stating that they were "not receivable" because of the United Nations' has diplomatic immunity.

Read more →  

The United Nations has formally declared that that they will not compensate any victim of the cholera outbreak in Haiti. The UN has invoked its legal immunity to rebuff claims from attorneys for over 8,000 people killed by the Cholera outbreak, under section 29 of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the UN.

Not even" "Yon Goud Lescot"

The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon contacted the Haitian President Michel Martelly to inform him that the UN was not willing to compensate any of the claimants. He issued a diplomatic statement where he did not either accept or deny liability for the Cholera epidemic. However, he was direct in rejecting any possible compensation to any of the victims or families of the victims.

Read more →