On April 7, the UN warned that deadly gang violence and underfunding are limiting its response to a worsening cholera outbreak in Haiti. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said suspected cases of the disease are increasing in the capital of Port-au-Prince, especially in areas like Cite Soleil, where living conditions remain precarious. OCHA added that a cholera response task force has been activated, and they are continuing to assist local health authorities through surveillance, case management, risk communication, vaccination, and infection prevention and control. However, the deteriorating security situation in the island complicates this crucial work. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the human rights office in Haiti and the UN mission there reported over 1500 people killed in the country in the first three months of the year due to attacks by gangs, operations by security forces, as well as acts of violence by self-defense groups and unorganized members of the population. Repeated attacks in rural areas near Port-au-Prince have resulted in serious human rights abuses, including the cold-blooded execution of men, women, and children inside their own homes. Gang members also raped several women and set fire to more than 100 homes, forcing residents to flee.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been 1298 suspected cholera cases in Haiti in the first three months of this year, with nine confirmed and 19 deaths. The case fatality rate is 1.65%, well above the emergency threshold of 1%.
