Cholera Outbreak and Violence Put Haiti in Dire Situation: UN

On Monday, Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said that a cholera outbreak and gang violence are putting Haiti in a dire situation.

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"Because of the security situation, we don't have the access that we need," Dujarric said at a regular briefing, describing how gang activities block aid from reaching victims of the outbreak. "The situation is quite dire."

That is why Guterres sent a letter to the Security Council on Sunday seeking a specialized armed force to help quell the violence and open access for humanitarians to reach cholera victims, the spokesman said.

Guterres hopes that there will be quick mobilization on behalf of the people of Haiti from UN member states, including members of the Security Council.

"What we need is a force that will help the Haitian authorities deal with the security situation," he said. "We're seeing now the port continuously blocked, which hampers our ability to bring aid out of the port, to rotate and to get... large quantities of humanitarian aid out."

He said the Haitian government, making it clear that it remains opposed to a return of peacekeepers, proposes bilateral support to complement the mandate of the existing UN political mission. It focuses on political stability, good governance and the development of the Haitian National Police.

As of Sunday, there were 32 confirmed cholera cases, 224 suspected, and 16 confirmed deaths, Dujarric said.

"Despite access and logistical challenges, we and our humanitarian partners are supporting the Ministry of Health on the cholera response," he said. "More than 43 health facilities around Port-au-Prince and the Center region have been identified and will be used to treat cholera patients. Twelve health facilities are currently receiving patients for treatment."

Dujarric said water and sanitation teams are working on training and chlorination interventions, and 1 million people are targeted daily with text messages in creole.

He said the Port-au-Prince national prison reported 2 confirmed cholera cases, 9 deaths and 39 suspected cases as of Sunday. The UN system provided the prison authority with an ad hoc protocol to prevent and minimize, as much as possible, the outbreak and its implications.

"UN agencies in the country are accompanying the Haitian government in efforts to investigate and respond to this outbreak through the rapid provision of medical and sanitation supplies as well as through technical advice for case management and infection prevention as well as control measures," the spokesman said. "National authorities are mounting an urgent response, investigating the situation to identify the source."

The UN emergency relief coordinator released on Friday a grant of US$7 million from the Emergency Response Fund to try to address the cholera response. The 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti, however, remains severely underfunded, at about 20 percent.

"We urgently appeal for funds from the international community to address the cholera outbreak as well as other pressing humanitarian needs in the country. Of course, the ability to address the humanitarian need better is linked to the security situation," said Dujarric.