International and Haitian human rights activists demand justice from the United Nations (U.N.) five years after the worst cholera outbreak in recent history ravaged the earthquake-stricken Caribbean country.
Amnesty International said on Tuesday that the U.N. is obliged to investigate the outbreak and provide a feasible plan to help the victims who contracted the disease and those whose relatives died.
"The U.N. must not just wash its hands of the human suffering and pain that it has caused. Setting up general health programs and sanitation campaigns is important but not enough," said Erika Guevara Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International.
The organization also stated that thousands of victims are still left "waiting for access to effective medical treatment and compensation."
The 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 and displaced over 1 million people was too much for Haitians. However, in just 10 months after the catastrophe, they were faced with another ordeal.
Thousands of people in Port-au-Prince were hospitalized due to severe diarrhea and dehydration. Laboratory tests confirmed that the victims had cholera, a very infectious disease that can kill within hours if left untreated.
The disease caused over 9,000 fatalities and infected over a hundred thousand victims. The Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) was notified of the outbreak and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided aid to control the epidemic.
Upon investigation, health officials traced the possible source of the epidemic. They found out that the main source of drinking water, Artibonite River, was tainted with contaminated fecal matter. Suspicion among Haitians centered on a U.N. military base established near the river, which is home to Nepalese peacekeepers.
However, the U.N. denied allegations and for years, declined to comment on lawsuits by the victims and humanitarian activists regarding compensation. A U.S. judge dismissed the lawsuit and noted the U.N's immunity to such cases.
"The U.N. continues to deny responsibility despite overwhelming evidence of its wrongdoing and mounting public pressure for accountability and action," Institute for Justice and Democracy In Haiti, a non-profit organization based in Boston, stated in its website.
Photo: Colin Crowley | Flickr
