Introduction

Haiti is ranked as the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Poverty in the area was exacerbated by the earthquake of 2010, which killed over 200,000 people and displaced over 1 million. It's also important to note that many hospitals were destroyed. The outbreak followed the earthquake, at a very vulnerable time for the country. (1)

The Start of Haiti's Cholera Outbreak in 2010

The first cases of cholera in Haiti were reported in October 2010. Many patients were reported to suffer from dehydration and acute watery diarrhea. Not native to the country, cholera was introduced in Haiti through infected UN peacekeepers from Nepal. The sewage from the group ended up in the waterways, carrying the disease to communities in Haiti. The disease spread through food and water contaminated with the bacteria, and it rapidly spread throughout Haiti. (2)

The Media and Government's Response

During the start of the outbreak, social media and news feeds were quicker to pick up on the disease than epidemiologists were. The response from the official government and healthcare workers was slow to stop the spread of cholera, and soon enough Haiti's population was inflicted with the disease. (5)

Because the initial mortality rate was reported to be significantly high, controlling and preventing the spread of cholera became a top priority for the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population and the U.S. government. Despite their initial efforts, cases did not decline, reaching a peak high during 2011.

Ultimately, with healthcare workers and government officials implementing health and safety procedures to combat cholera, eventually cases started declining. During any new case, health workers would immediately provide a targeted response, treating the patient and sanitizing to stop the spread. (1)

Cholera Today

Although there have not been many cases in recently since the initial outbreak, from 2010 to 2018 around 820,000 people have been infected with cholera in Haiti, and a reported 9,700 deaths. While the Haitian government is better equipped to handle cholera today, the impact of the disease still affects Haiti. (1)

Many suffered from lack of treatment and slow government response during the midst of the outbreak, and raised concern over how such an easily treated and preventable disease could have caused so much devastation in modern times.

The Political War over Haiti's Cholera

Not native to Haiti, the initial introduction of cholera remained a mystery to the Haitians. Shortly after the outbreak, the source of the disease was discovered to be United Nations peacekeepers from Nepal, who had built a camp with substandard sanitation and reckless waste management, contaminating Haiti's food and water. (1)

However, even with evidence pointing towards this reckless behavior, the U.N. refused to accept responsibility and hold themselves accountable, repeatedly denying accusations that they were the culprits for the cholera outbreak. (4)

Victims of the outbreak approached the U.N. with petitions demanding that they compensate for the damage they had inflicted upon Haiti, but the U.N. rejected their petitions. Eventually, the victims sued the U.N. through the United States but hit a dead end: The U.N.'s functional immunity in U.S. domestic courts meant they were not legally responsible for their actions. (4)

In 2016, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moons issued a formal apology on behalf of the U.N., promising $400 million in aid and compensation for affected Haitians. However, since 2020, only 5% of that has been raised. (20)

With the U.N.'s poor response to the 2010 cholera outbreak in Haiti and its negligence to accept responsibility and help aid in the recovery of the outbreak, a loss of trust has settled between the U.N. and Haiti, as complaints and demands against the U.N. are still being made today. (20)

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