Letter to United Nations General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon regarding the outbreak of cholera in Haiti in 2010

SUMMARY

The International Human Rights Committee (Anil Kalhan, Chair) sent a letter to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in response to a recent statement issued by his office that acknowledged the UN’s role in the cholera outbreak in Haiti in 2010.  As detailed in a report issued this past summer by the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, scientific evidence conclusively demonstrates that the outbreak of cholera was caused by negligent waste management practices by UN peacekeepers.  The Committee described the Secretary General’s statement as an “important step toward accountability and justice for cholera victims and elimination of the disease from Haiti,” and urged the UN to take concrete steps to make good on its pledge to do more to direct assistance and support to Haitians and their families affected by the cholera epidemic as well as to dedicate sufficient resources to address longer-term issues such as water, sanitation and health systems in Haiti.