"U.N. Struggles to Stem Haiti Cholera Epidemic"
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/20/world/americas/un-struggles-to-stem-haiti-cholera-epidemic.html?ref=world
Since 2010, Cholera has been a rampant epidemic throughout Haiti. The question on everyone's mind, however, is if the United Nations brought the deadly strain of cholera to Haiti. It is the belief of the Haitian government that in an attempt to provide aid to Haiti, the United Nation's peacekeepers transmitted the disease to the Haitian population. Even now, the UN is within Haiti trying to provide aid and they are unable to cope with the amount of cases that have broken out. The UN did not raise even a fourth of the $38 million it needed to provide aid to these civilians especially the water purification tablets. Some clinics have been forced to shut down because they are unable to treat those inflicted and there are more and more patients that are dying from cholera.
The United Nations is floundering. Not only is it believed that they transmitted the disease, but they are not able to uphold their promises. They promised to vaccinate the 600,000 people who are vulnerable to cholera and they did not raise the money. They promised to build Haiti's water and sanitation infrastructure, which is vital to ridding Haiti of cholera, but are unable to due to lack of funds. Since 2010, 8,562 people have died. In 2011, there were 350,000 reported cases of cholera. Many aid groups of moved out of Haiti as well. There were 120 clinics, but now there are only 40.
Cholera has run rampant due to the lack of clean drinking water and sanitation as well as the lack of a good health care system. People need to drink fluids. If they cannot purify their water, they still must find some type of fluid to sustain their bodies or they will die of dehydration. Many resort to drinking the contaminated water because there are no other options open to them. Many now who arrive at the clinics either die before they reach it or die soon after entering. This is largely due to the longer travel time to get to the clinic to receive treatment. Children are also most susceptible because of their low immune systems, which makes it even more traumatic for the rest of the population and in the long run, the economy. That is the next generation that would support the elderly in Haiti as well as fill the open positions for jobs with strength and intelligence.
The outbreak has also spread to the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Mexico, however due to the better health facilities, there is not such a large death toll.
Research even indicates that Haiti now suffers due to the United Nations. This strain of cholera is an Asian strain found in Nepal. Hundreds of the United Nations personnel that traveled to Haiti were originally stationed in Nepal and often drank and bathed in the contaminated river tributary there. Haitians are demanding the United Nations provide reparations for the damage caused. They want $100,000 for each person who died from the outbreak and $50,000 for each that was received the disease. The people are angry and even Haitians working in the clinics have not been paid in months and for some even years. The United Nations has yet to speak on the topic.
This is a huge issue, however. The United Nations does provide aid to many countries who desperately need it. This is a fantastic thing to do to help those in need. However, precautions must be taken especially when traveling between countries where one might have a disease that could cause a large number of people to die. It is very easy to transmit diseases with a person. These diseases function so beautifully due to lack of sanitation, drinking water, healthcare, and poverty. People cannot pay for antibiotics and they most likely to receive the disease. The United Nations must really think of how they can act differently in the future to prevent the globalization of disease.
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