Chapter IMINUSTAH and theCholera Outbreak in Haiti7 section
Chapter IMINUSTAH and the Cholera Outbreak in HaitiSince the early 1990s, the United Nations hasdeployed several peacekeeping and humanitarianmissions to Haiti in response to recurring periodsof political unrest and socio-economic instability.In 2004, following a period of political turmoil,the U.N. Security Council established its currentHaitian mission: the U.N. Stabilization Missionin Haiti, known as MINUSTAH. 2 The SecurityCouncil charged MINUSTAH with a broadmandate encompassing both peacekeeping andhumanitarian operations. On January 12, 2010,a devastating earthquake struck Haiti, killinghundreds of thousands and further jeopardizingthe country’s already fragile infrastructure. Inthe wake of this tragedy, the Security Councilexpanded MINUSTAH’s mandate to respond to theongoing crisis. While MINUSTAH has contributedto Haiti’s stabilization, the mission has also beencriticized for its failures to protect human rights.Between October 19–20, 2010, nine monthsafter the earthquake, health officials confirmedeight cases of cholera in a remote region of centralHaiti. Cholera had not been observed in thecountry in over a century. The disease spread atan alarming rate, rapidly causing severe cases ofdiarrhea, dehydration, and death. Even before the2010 earthquake, Haiti suffered from a history ofpoor water, sanitation, and health infrastructure.While cholera can be easily prevented and treated,the country’s scarce resources and socio-politicalinstability have made the disease difficult tocontrol. As of April 2013, over 650,000 Haitians hadbeen infected by cholera and over 8,100 had died.The disease continues to spread through Haititoday, and the most optimistic estimates suggestit will take at least another decade to eliminate itfrom the country and the island.Independent investigations by scientists andjournalists have traced the source of the epidemicto MINUSTAH peacekeeping troops. An extensivebody of evidence shows that between October8–21, 2010, troops arriving from cholera-affectedareas of Nepal carried the disease into Haiti. Dueto poor sanitation facilities at the base wherethe troops were stationed, waste containingcholera contaminated the Artibonite River, Haiti’slargest river, and spread to the local population.Scientific studies and firsthand accounts leavelittle doubt that MINUSTAH peacekeepers were theinadvertent source of the cholera outbreak.Since the outbreak began, cholera victims andtheir advocates have repeatedly called on the U.N.to remedy past injuries and meaningfully addressthe ongoing crisis. The U.N., however, has refusedto hear these claims and its overall response to thecholera epidemic remains inadequate. The U.N.has denied its role in the epidemic and refusedto address victims’ claims for redress, despite itsobligations to do so under its own agreementswith Haiti and under instruments and principlesof international law. National and internationalactors have proposed plans to treat and eliminatecholera, but the plans lack sufficient funding toeffectively prevent and treat the disease. Haitianhealth and water and sanitation officials andNGOs that have been essential to the provision ofcholera treatment struggle to manage waves ofthe epidemic that spike during each rainy season.Haitians continue to suffer the consequences of thelargest cholera epidemic in the country’s history,while the party responsible for the outbreak—the U.N.—refuses to make a meaningful effort tocontain, control, and eliminate the disease or toremedy the harm already done.A. MINUSTAH Has Had an ExpandingMandate Marked by a Broad<strong>Peacekeeping</strong> Authority <strong>without</strong><strong>Accountability</strong>.The U.N. has had an intermittent peacekeepingpresence in Haiti since the early 1990s. 3 In April2004, following a period of political instability,the Security Council passed Resolution 1542,creating the U.N. Mission for the Stabilization ofHaiti (MINUSTAH). 4 MINUSTAH was establishedas a joint military and civilian mission with amandate to help Haiti address a broad range of8 minustah and the cholera outbreak in haiti
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