By Brittney Hodnik
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti – Almost two years since the first reported case of cholera in Haiti, not much has changed. The quick-acting intestinal illness has claimed thousands of lives in Haiti and many are wondering why more has not been done to help the struggling country.
Since October 2010, cholera has claimed the lives of 7,000 Haitians and has made over 530,000 others sick, according to NPR. Literally one hundred thousand people are waiting to be vaccinated against cholera but the short funding has prevented this from happening.
Besides the cholera outbreak, the country never recovered from the devastating earthquake in 2010.
According to NPR, even with the plan for vaccination that the country has already laid out, only about 1% of the population will be vaccinated. In order to really contain the outbreak, millions of people need to be vaccinated before next year’s rainy season.
Interestingly, the United Nations might be to blame for the entire cholera outbreak. According to The New York Times, epidemiologic and microbiologic evidence suggests that United Nations peacekeeping troops imported cholera to Haiti and accidentally contaminated the tributary next to their base. The troops came from Nepal and the contamination happened due to a faulty sanitation system. Dr. Paul S. Keim says that the Haitian and Nepalese cholera strains are virtually identical, reports The New York Times.
The South Florida Caribbean News reports that the Haitian government and the United Nations alike are worried about the lack of humanitarian efforts in the country. The humanitarian community seeks $231 million to fund effectively the island nation, and so far has only received about 8.5% of that amount. The lack of funding has forced many humanitarian workers out of affected areas.
The upcoming hurricane season (May through November) brings even more worries for the countries. The heavy rainfall only increases the spread of cholera. According to The South Florida Caribbean News, resources are needed to overall improve access to clean water and maintain solid waste management systems, along with increasing preparedness ahead of hurricane season.
According to The New York Times, Anthony Banbury, a U.N. assistant secretary general said last week, “We don’t think the cholera outbreak is attributable to any single factor.” Additionally, many believe that the prime time to suppress the epidemic passed long ago; now that it has had time to spread, the problem is becoming much more difficult to control.
So as Haitians continue to die from the dehydrating illness, humanitarian efforts will continue and hopefully expand.
For more information, please visit:
Newser — How Bickering Aid Workers Brought Cholera to Haiti — 1 Apr. 2012
South Florida Caribbean News — UN Concerned Over Funding for Humanitarian Services in Haiti — 1 Apr. 2012
The New York Times — Haiti’s Cholera Outraced the Experts and Tainted the U.N. — 31 Mar. 2012
NPR — In Haiti, Bureaucratic Delays Stall Mass Cholera Vaccinations — 27 Mar. 2012
