UN: The cholera epidemic in Haiti will spread

Up to 200 people in Haiti may soon develop cholera, said Nigel Fisher, UN aid coordinator for Haiti, in New York on Monday.

We are doing our best to reduce the death toll of cholera in Haiti, but unfortunately the disease is spreading very quickly, said Fisher.

According to the Haitian Ministry of Health, more than 900 people had already died of cholera by Monday, and 15 got infected with her.

The disease spreads most rapidly in slums where – especially after the January earthquake – sanitation is catastrophic; there is a lack of toilets and clean water. Cholera hasn’t been in Haiti for decades, so people don’t know how to defend themselves against it. We fear that 200 people in this country will soon develop cholera, or even more, said Fisher.

Meanwhile, on Monday in two cities – Hinche and Cap-Haitien – local people attacked soldiers of the UN stabilization mission with stones. Demonstrators accuse the mission of bringing cholera to their country. (PAP)

Leave a Reply