U.N. SG Ban Apologizes For Cholera’s Spread In Haiti 6 Years After Initial Outbreak, Discusses Details Of $400M Plan To Address Epidemic

Al Jazeera: Ban Ki-moon sorry for U.N. role in Haiti cholera epidemic
“U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has apologized for the first time to the people of Haiti for the international organization’s role in a deadly cholera outbreak that has killed more than 9,300 people and infected more than 800,000. ‘On behalf of the United Nations, I want to say very clearly we apologize to the Haitian people,’ he said three times, in Haitian Creole, French, and English, to the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday…” (12/1).

Associated Press: U.N. apologizes for Haiti cholera spread, not for causing it
“Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon apologized Thursday for the U.N. not doing enough to contain the spread of a cholera outbreak in Haiti, but he stopped short of apologizing for bringing the disease to the Caribbean nation…” (Astor, 12/1).

CNN: U.N. apologizes for Haiti cholera spread in plan to eradicate disease
“…[Ban] acknowledged both the outbreak’s human toll and its damage to the U.N.’s standing in Haiti and beyond. ‘This has cast a shadow upon the relationship between the United Nations and the people of Haiti. It is a blemish on the reputation of U.N. peacekeeping and the organization worldwide.’ For many, though, the apology was too little, too late, focused on the U.N.’s response and stopping short of accepting full responsibility…” (Grinberg/Roth, 12/1).

Devex: U.N. details plans for Haiti’s cholera victims, apologizes for role in epidemic
“…U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson and David Nabarro, who led the U.N.’s response to cholera, also spoke [Thrusday] afternoon about the uneven fundraising advances of the U.N.’s [$400 million] cholera response plan — known as the Multi-Partner Trust Fund to Haiti — and how the money will be dispersed on the ground…” (Lieberman, 12/2).

IRIN: U.N. chief apologizes for Haiti cholera, six years later
“…The response, first outlined in October, calls for a two-track approach, with $200 million delegated for each. The first would fund sanitation and eradication projects; the second — termed ‘material assistance’ — would be aimed more directly at those affected by the epidemic. As he fleshed out details of that second tranche, Ban said consultations with ‘communities, victims, and their families’ would continue into 2017…” (Oakford, 12/1).

New York Times: U.N. Apologizes for Role in Haiti’s 2010 Cholera Outbreak
“…Mr. Ban’s apology — belated in the view of his critics — is part of his push for redress in Haiti before the end of his 10-year tenure on Dec. 31. Yet the people of Haiti have seen few tangible benefits so far. The United Nations has not yet met its promise to eradicate cholera once and for all from Haiti, though Mr. Ban’s aides said on Thursday that they were close to raising the $200 million they say they need to fix Haiti’s water and sanitation system and treat Haitians for cholera…” (Sengupta, 12/1).

Reuters: U.N. chief sorry for U.N. role in deadly Haiti cholera outbreak
“…Haiti was free of cholera until 2010, when [U.N.] peacekeepers dumped infected sewage into a river. The United Nations does not accept legal responsibility for the outbreak of the disease that causes uncontrollable diarrhea and has sickened 800,000 people…” (Nichols, 12/1).

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