Physical Wellness

US Lawsuit Filed Against UN Due To Cholera Epidemic in Haiti

By Michelle Gil | Update Date: Oct 09, 2013 10:45 PM EDT

Earlier today the human rights groups Bureau des Avocats Internationaux and the Boston-based Institute for Justice and Democracy Haiti, in partnership with attorneys from Kurzban's law firm, filed a lawsuit against the United Nations at the Federal District Court in Manhattan.

To no avail, the people of Haiti have been harmed by the fatal bacterial disease, cholera, caused by the carelessness of the UN who contaminated Haiti's principal river, the Artibonite, with cholera-infected human waste.

Cholera, is said to be contracted from toxic water causing symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. 

A reported 8,300 have been killed since October 2010, more than 650,000 continue to bare the infection of this disease and a continued 1,000 are killed a year. 

"The UN has legal obligations under international treaties to provide people harmed by its operations either compensation or a fair forum to present their claims, but the organization has not complied with this requirement," said IJDH. "In November 2011, BAI, IJDH and KKWT filed claims with the UN on behalf of 5,000 Haitian victims of cholera, seeking remedies and the establishment of the commission."

"The plaintiffs in the case are five Haitians and Haitian-Americans whose family members died of the disease or who were infected but managed to survive life-threatening cholera," according to IJDH. 

BAI Managing Attorney Mario Joseph said in a press release, "The filing of this lawsuit marks a critical step towards justice for Haiti and all those who have suffered and are suffering because of cholera."

© 2023 Counsel & Heal All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics