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Haiti suffers from cholera epidemic, protests

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They blocked roads, fired on local police officers, surrounded and clashed with the UN blue helmets. At least two demonstrators were killed and more than 10 others injured, including UN soldiers.

United Nations peacekeepers patrol in a street in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Nov. 20, 2010. The Haitian Health Ministry said Friday that 76 more people had died from cholera, raising the total number of victims to 1,186 since the first outbreak of the disease detected one month ago in the north of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. [Xinhua]

Although the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) has said that no bacteria had been found around the Nepalese Battalion, local people still ignored advice from health workers to stop violence, which is disrupting treatment efforts.

After the violence spread to the capital of Port-au-Prince on Thursday, UN special envoy for Haiti Edmond Mulet condemned the protests against UN peace troops as "criminal and irresponsible acts," which had prevented doctors from attending to the affected people.

Meanwhile, UN spokesman Farhan Haq said, "MINUSTAH is willing to participate in any further investigation into the source of the cholera outbreak.

"MINUSTAH has actually met with several epidemiologists who are in the country," Haq said, adding the priority now is to control the diseases and help the people infected.

The UN also called on demonstrators to stop blocking roads, bridges and airports, and to allow medical and humanitarian assistance.

Despite the appeal from various international humanitarian organizations, violence continues to spread.

Counter measures

Facing the continuing graveness of the disease, the Haitian authorities declared a state of emergency and took a series of preventative measures to stop the spread of the disease.

Haitian President Rene Preval urged the Haitian people to take hygiene measures to fight the disease, although simple measures like washing hands are even difficult, as most people do not have access to clean water.

Meanwhile, the UN and the Haitian government rolled out an educational campaign including hourly radio messages and a Sunday six-hour program about how to prevent the spread of cholera. Mobile phone text messages and loudspeakers in camps are also being used.

Besides, the UN has launched an appeal for 160 million U.S. dollars to help combat the disease.

On Friday, Joseph Deiss, President of the 65th session of UN General Assembly, announced that the Assembly will hold an informal session on Dec. 3 to discuss the troubling situation in Haiti.

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