Haiti's Cholera Death Toll Climbs
No Relief in Sight for the Battered Nation
The unrest following the announcement of preliminary election results on Dec. 7 slowed or stopped relief efforts in a number of regions of Haiti. The violence halted efforts in the North West department, Centre department and in Leoganes, according to the United Nations. The communities of les Cayes, Cap Haitien and Gonaïves were unsafe and UN personnel were restricted to their bases. Some staff was evacuated from les Cayes.
Helicopters were able to make deliveries of medicine and cholera treatment supplies on Dec. 10 and 11. UN troops from Bolivia and Guatemala provided protection for the shipments. Cuban medical relief operations continue, with their relief mission now numbering 1,063.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is actively involved in the cholera fight. They have 183 staff assigned to the outbreak, with 25 on location in Haiti. In addition, the existing CDC AIDS program office in Haiti is contributing to the effort with its 40-member staff.
Samaritan's Purse, a faith-based charity, brought attention to the many issues in Haiti with a visit to the country this past weekend by Sarah, Todd and Bristol Palin, along with SP president Franklin Graham and Fox News' Greta Van Susteren. Among the areas visited was the SP cholera treatment center in Cite Soleil, the huge slum in Port-au-Prince.
In Haiti's neighbor, the Dominican Republic, the Ministry of Public Health reports 22 laboratory-confirmed cases of cholera as of Dec. 6. Over 170 more are suspected. Of the confirmed cases, two cases came from Haiti and the remainder were local infections.
The United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that nearly one-third of the original 1.5 million Haitians living in refugee camps after the earthquake Jan. 12 have moved out. About 100,000 have been housed in transitional shelters. Others will have returned to their homes as the process of certifying the habitability of structures has progressed in many cities.
The IOM currently reports 1,199 camps holding an estimated 1,050,000 Haitians. The organization states that many evictions are taking place, as temporary shelters such as schools, churches or businesses are emptied of refugees.
Published by Charles Simmins
Charles Simmins is a native Western New Yorker with nearly thirty years of experience at senior level accounting positions in non-profit and for profit organizations. He was a volunteer firefighter, and a vo... View profile
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