Peacekeeping without Accountability - Yale Law School

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Chapter IIScientific InvestigationsIdentify MINUSTAHTroops as the Sourceof the Cholera Epidemic17 section
Chapter IIScientific Investigations Identify MINUSTAHTroops as the Source of the Cholera EpidemicAn extensive scientific literature has tracedthe source of the Haitian cholera epidemicto the MINUSTAH camp in Méyè. Outbreakinvestigations, environmental surveys, andmolecular epidemiological studies—includingthose conducted by the U.N.’s own experts andsome of the world’s foremost experts on choleraand infectious disease—all demonstrate thatcholera in Haiti was transmitted from a singlesource, the Méyè MINUSTAH base in central Haiti.These studies show that the peacekeepers stationedat the base, who had arrived from Nepal shortlybefore the first cases of cholera were reportedin Haiti, were carriers of a strain of V. cholerae,the bacterium (V. cholerae), the bacterium thatcauses cholera, also from Nepal. Poor sanitationconditions at the MINUSTAH camp allowed forwaste to flow into the nearby waterways, resultingin the inadvertent introduction of V. cholerae intothe Méyè tributary. The bacterium spread throughthe Tributary into the Artibonite River and otherconnected water sources. As a result, individualsconsuming water from the Méyè Tributary and theArtibonite River contracted cholera.Four key findings confirm that the epidemic’spoint source transmission—or common origin—was the MINUSTAH peacekeeping troops:• There was no active transmission of cholera inHaiti prior to October 2010. Historical recordsdating back to the 1800s report no cases ofcholera in Haiti. No cholera epidemics weredocumented in the Caribbean during the 20thcentury. During the Caribbean epidemics of the19th century, no cases were reported in Haiti.• The initial area affected by the epidemicencompassed the location of the MINUSTAHbase. Epidemiological modeling during theinitial outbreak shows no symptomatic choleracases other than in the areas surrounding theMINUSTAH camp in Méyè. Models suggestthat the origin of the disease was near theMINUSTAH base, from which cholera thenspread throughout the country.• The troops at the MINUSTAH base wereexposed to cholera in Nepal, and their fecescontaminated the water supply near the base.The peacekeeping troops stationed at theMINUSTAH base in Méyè were deployed toHaiti from Nepal, where cholera is endemicand a outbreak had occurred one month priorto their arrival in Haiti. These troops wereexposed to cholera in Nepal just prior to theirdeparture to Haiti. Due to the poor sanitationinfrastructure at the MINUSTAH base, fecesfrom the troops contaminated the ArtiboniteRiver, one of Haiti’s main water sources.• The Haiti cholera outbreak is traceable to asingle cholera strain of South Asian origin foundin Nepal. Molecular studies of stool samplescollected from multiple patients reveal a singlecholera strain as the source of infection in Haiti.Genetic analyses show that the Haitian strain isidentical to recent South Asian strains found inNepal and is most likely a descendant of thesestrains. Outbreak investigations demonstratethat the initial cases were confined to the areanear the MINUSTAH base in Méyè. Both setsof studies suggest that the outbreak beganwith the introduction of a single cholera strainendemic to parts of Nepal into the water sourcenear the MINUSTAH base.Separately, these various studies propose a linkbetween the MINUSTAH peacekeepers from Nepaland the Haitian cholera epidemic. Combined,they provide compelling evidence of the causalrelationship between the MINUSTAH troops andthe introduction of cholera into Haiti.18 scientific investigations identify minustah troops as the source of the cholera epidemic
Page 1 and 2: PeacekeepingwithoutAccountabilityTh
Page 3 and 4: ContentsIIIAcknowledgementsGlossary
Page 5 and 6: Glossary of Acronyms and Abbreviati
Page 7 and 8: in October 2012. In the spring of 2
Page 9 and 10: violated widely accepted principles
Page 11 and 12: MethodologyThe findings in this rep
Page 13 and 14: Chapter IMINUSTAH and the Cholera O
Page 15 and 16: the Government of Haiti in post-dis
Page 17 and 18: B. The Outbreak of Cholera Has HadD
Page 19 and 20: 1872. 60 None of these three outbre
Page 21: E. The United Nations Has Failed to
Page 25 and 26: keeping became difficult. 107 At St
Page 27 and 28: peacekeeping troops were training i
Page 29 and 30: y human activity from a distant geo
Page 31 and 32: Chapter IIIThe Requirementof a Clai
Page 33 and 34: immunity, if immunity has not been
Page 35 and 36: oard.” Unlike a claims commission
Page 37 and 38: personal injury or death, they are
Page 39 and 40: Chapter IVThe U.N. Has Failed toRes
Page 41 and 42: A. The U.N. Can Have Duties and Lia
Page 43 and 44: issued a resolution acknowledging t
Page 45 and 46: 4. The U.N. Failed to Respect the R
Page 47 and 48: ConclusionMINUSTAH’s introduction
Page 49 and 50: chapter VThe U.N.’s Actions Viola
Page 51 and 52: Humanitarian Charter and Minimum St
Page 53 and 54: must be observed in facilities for
Page 55 and 56: Chapter VIRemedies andRecommendatio
Page 57 and 58: cholera epidemic. Thus far, despite
Page 59 and 60: cholera patients in its clinics thi
Page 61 and 62: C. Dignitary JusticeThe U.N. must w
Page 63 and 64: missions. Either type of commission
Page 65 and 66: 2010 Report].24 MINUSTAH Apr. 2010
Page 67 and 68: commission has ever been establishe
Page 69 and 70: epidemic caused by UN, say experts,
Page 71 and 72: sion shall determine its own proced
Page 73 and 74:
the United Nations as, “a consequ
Page 75 and 76:
ICESCR, the UN Committee on Economi
Page 77 and 78:
mental obligations of protection. T
Page 79:
this commission more open-ended tha
show all

Peacekeeping without Accountability - Yale Law School

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?