Via Al Jazeera English,an opinion piece by an American academic: The United Nation's role in Haiti cholera outbreak. The conclusion:
In her comments about renewing the MINUSTAH mission, US Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, opined that "The Mission has helped provide a more secure and stable environment in Haiti, strengthened the country's institutions, protected civilians and safeguarded human rights".
As the UN has decreased its MINUSTAH expenditures in Haiti, it can remedy the cholera tragedy by providing reparations to Haitians harmed by the epidemic, and by investing money in the development of a sanitation and health infrastructure that would forestall this type of crisis in future.
Among the services listed by the UN in reauthorising the MINUSTAH mission was its assistance in supporting institutions that uphold the rule of law. As human rights lawyer Mario Joseph noted, "To be a credible advocate for rule of law, however, the UN must demonstrate by example and be accountable for the cholera epidemic it caused." Despite serious threats against Mario Joseph and other human rights advocates that have caused international alarm, the UN has remained silent.
The UN must model accountability by taking responsibility for the cholera epidemic by paying reparations to victims and investing in both immediate and long-term measures to remediate the conditions that make Haiti a hospitable vector for the continued transmission of cholera.It's also worth noting that the Pan American Health Organization and other UN agencies have been equally silent, as have most NGOs in Haiti and the Haitian government itself. Nor has the US government had much to say about the origins of the disaster. With friends like these, the Haitians don't need enemies.
