Haiti in a Time of Cholera

By: Efthimios Parasidis

In the midst of “the world’s worst and fastest-spreading cholera epidemic“, with more than 685,000 infected and approximately 8,400 dead, five Haitian families are suing the United Nations in federal court in the Southern District of New York. The families are seeking $2.2 billion for the Haitian government’s relief efforts and unspecified damages for Haitian families affected by the outbreak. Despite evidence which indicates that cholera was introduced by UN peacekeepers, the UN has yet to admit responsibility and has denied compensation to the victims, though it continues to provide assistance to Haiti. The UN argues that immunity precludes legal recourse, and undoubtedly will move to dismiss the complaint. Aside from the legal arguments regarding immunity, the question remains whether the UN has a moral responsibility to provide compensation and more robust remediation measures, particularly because there were “documented sanitation deficiencies” at a UN camp that has been identified as the source of the outbreak. As we await a decision from the court, and a response from the UN, cholera continues to kill nearly three Haitians each day.

 

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