Voice of America
03 Oct 2022, 04:12 GMT+10
PORT-AU-PRINCE - Haiti on Sunday said at least seven people have died of cholera in a surprise return of the disease that comes as the nation is paralyzed by a gang blockade that has triggered shortages of fuel and clean drinking water.
The disease killed some 10,000 people through a 2010 outbreak that has been blamed on a United Nations peacekeeping force. The Pan American Health Organization in 2020 said Haiti had gone a year with no confirmed cholera cases.
'According to the information we have, the number of deaths is about 7 to 8,' he said, adding that officials were struggling to get information from hospitals. 'There was one death during the day today.'
The Health Ministry earlier confirmed one case in the Port-au-Prince area and that there were suspect cases in the town of Cite Soleil outside the capital, which was the site of vicious gang turf wars in July.
Since last month, gangs have been blocking the country's main fuel port in protest over September's announcement of a fuel price hike. Many hospitals have shut down or scaled back operations for lack of fuel to power generators.
Basic transit is now impossible for most citizens.
Caribbean Bottling Company, a key supplier of bottled water, said Sunday that it could no longer continue producing and distributing water because it had run out of diesel fuel, which is critical to its supply chain.
Cholera causes uncontrollable diarrhea.
The disease is typically spread by water contaminated with the feces of a sick person, meaning that clean drinking water is critical for preventing its spread.
Troops from Nepal, where cholera is endemic, were in Haiti as part of a U.N. peacekeeping force established in 2004 after the overthrow of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The force size was increased after Haiti's 2010 earthquake.
The United Nations in 2016 apologized for the outbreak, without taking responsibility.
An independent panel appointed by then-U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon issued a 2011 report that did not determine conclusively how cholera was introduced to Haiti.
The panel members in 2013 independently published an article that concluded personnel associated with the U.N. peacekeeping mission were 'the most likely source.'
Get a daily dose of Haiti Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Haiti Sun.
More InformationWASHINGTON, D.C.: Industry leaders are pushing the Trump administration to clear regulatory obstacles slowing the rollout of self-driving...
NEW YORK, New York – Israeli military forces caused deaths and unnecessary suffering of Palestinian patients while occupying hospitals...
BRUSSELS, Belgium: The European Union is set to tighten steel import quotas starting in April, reducing inflows by 15 percent to prevent...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned that New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) could...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the Trump administration is asking companies and foreign governments to help...
Israel Air Force pilots have bombed a funeral in northern Gaza, killing more than a dozen mourners. Family and friends of Dr Wasim...
BOSTON, Massachusetts: A routine safety mechanism at data centers nearly triggered a regional power crisis last summer, highlighting...
PARIS, France: Air France is making a bold bet on luxury travel with the launch of an upgraded first-class suite, aiming to attract...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. home construction and manufacturing activity surged in February, but rising costs from tariffs and economic...
NEW YORK, New York - Uncertainty continues to plague investors on Wall Street with Friday's trading being volatile and weak. The major...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. factories ramped up production in February, with a sharp rebound in motor vehicle output helping to drive manufacturing...
Elon Musk's Teslas' are in the running to take over the transport of Israel's government officials. Musk's company, Tesla Inc., has...