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NEW YORK. – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the international body has a “moral responsibility” to help Haiti end a devastating cholera epidemic, which was allegedly brought to the Caribbean country by UN peacekeepers.
Ban made the remarks yesterday ahead of a visit to Haiti, during which he is scheduled to meet families affected by cholera. The epidemic was allegedly brought to Haiti by UN peacekeepers in 2010. Over 700 000 people are estimated to have been infected by the disease, which has killed more than 8 000.
Despite Ban’s comments, the UN has continuously denied any responsibility over the outbreak and has so far failed to offer an apology or compensation for the epidemic.
During his visit to Haiti, Ban is to focus on getting donors to contribute US$2,2 billion to a 10-year cholera elimination campaign. In addition, Ban is to meet Haiti’s President Michel Martelly and lawmakers in the capital, Port-au-Prince, as well as meet with leaders from United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti .
The UN Secretary-General will also launch a “total sanitation campaign” with Haiti’s Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe in a bid to improve sanitation and hygiene in the nation’s rural areas. – Press TV.
Ban’s visit comes just months after some 1,500 Haitians launched a lawsuit against the UN, seeking compensation for the victims of the cholera outbreak. The class-action lawsuit, filed in a US federal court in New York City in March, demands compensation for the deaths and illnesses caused by cholera.
Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that causes severe diarrhea and can lead to dehydration and death. – Press TV
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