Rainy season poses new threats to cholera-stricken Haiti - UN

[News_Editor]

Rainy season poses new threats to cholera-stricken Haiti - UN

2011-05-06 07:32:36 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations (UN) on Thursday said the upcoming rainy season in the Caribbean could pose fresh challenges in fighting the spread of cholera in Haiti because of the risk of contamination of water sources.

Sylvie van den Wildenberg, spokesperson for the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), said the UN would continue supporting all the humanitarian partners – those in the UN and in the Government of Haiti – as they join to combat the spread of cholera in the Caribbean country and the new challenges.

"The rainy season is coming and this is a great source of concern for us because the more water you have, the more the risk of new propagation of the epidemic," said van den Wildenberg.

During a news conference in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, van den Wildenberg spoke a day after the release of a report by an independent panel set up by the UN to investigate the source of the cholera outbreak that has claimed more than 4,500 lives in Haiti since last October.

According to the report, a 'confluence of circumstances' and not the fault of any group or individual, was responsible for the fast-moving outbreak.

The four-member panel of experts included a series of recommendations for the UN and the Haitian Government so they can help prevent the future introduction and spread of cholera.

In addition, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon previously announced that he plans to convene a task force to study the report's findings "to ensure prompt and appropriate follow-up."

Since the outbreak begun, almost 300,000 Haitians have been sickened, as fresh infections and deaths continue to occur.

However, van den Wildenberg said tremendous efforts have been made and good results achieved in the fight against cholera, but the country still remains vulnerability to the disease owing to its poor sanitation.

An appeal for $175 million launched by humanitarian agencies last year to respond to the epidemic has received only 48 percent of the requested funding, and van den Wildenberg urged donors who made pledges to make the resources available for continuing efforts to fight the disease.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-05-06