August 20, 2016•Update: August 20, 2016
By Senabri Silvestre
SANTO DOMINGO, Dom. Rep.
The United Nations will prepare a "material" package of assistance and "support" for Haitians directly affected by a cholera epidemic, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday.
“The United Nations has a moral responsibility to the victims of the cholera epidemic and for supporting Haiti in overcoming the epidemic and building sound water, sanitation and health systems”, Ban said in a statement.
Speaking through his spokesperson, Farhan Haq, the UN chief expressed his intention to intensify the global body’s support to reduce and ultimately end the transmission of the disease, typically contracted through contaminated food or water.
Ban also wants efforts to improve access to care and treatment. "But these efforts must include, as a central focus, the victims of the disease and their families", Haq added.
The comments come one day after a U.S. federal appeals court upheld the UN’s immunity from a damage claim filed in 2013 on behalf of cholera victims in Haiti.
The suit demanded the UN compensate victims of the epidemic that it blamed on UN soldiers installed in the poor Caribbean country.
“Despite repeated appeals, these efforts have been seriously underfunded, and severe and persistent funding shortfalls remain. The Secretary-General urges member states to demonstrate their solidarity with the people of Haiti by increasing their contributions to eliminate cholera and provide assistance to those affected,” according to the statement.
The cholera outbreak has affected an estimated 780,000 victims and claimed the lives of more than 9,100 following a devastating 2010 earthquake.
Sustained efforts by national authorities and the international community have contributed to a 90 percent reduction in the number of cases since the peak of the epidemic in 2011, the UN said.
