Cholera 9 Years On... A "New Approach"? The Ongoing Violation of Victims' Rights in the UN's Response to Cholera in Haiti

This IJDH report reviews the United Nations' response to the cholera epidemic that began in October 2010, when sewage from a UN peacekeeping base staffed by a contingent from Nepal contaminated Haiti's main river system. The epidemic killed more than 2,500 people in its first three months and, by publication, over 9,700 people, with more than 819,000 infected. The report traces six years of UN denial, the 2011 filing of claims by 5,000 victims with support from BAI and IJDH, litigation in US federal courts dismissed on immunity grounds, and the 2016 apology by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon accompanied by the 400 million dollar New Approach to Cholera in Haiti. It concludes that the New Approach fails victims: it is not grounded in acceptance of legal responsibility, victims were not consulted in its design, funding safeguards are absent, and no independent claims assessment mechanism exists. It also notes Haiti's continuing vulnerability, with 42 percent of Haitians lacking adequate access to safe water as of 2017, and documents the ongoing victim mobilization for remedies.