Haiti violence slows cholera response in Cap Haitien

(Port-au-Prince /New York, 16 November 2010): The humanitarian community in Haiti calls for an immediate end to violent demonstrations in Cap Haitien, which are seriously hampering the humanitarian response to a rapidly escalating cholera outbreak in the area.

Speaking on behalf of the humanitarian community, Humanitarian Coordinator Nigel Fisher said that while supplies in Cap Haitien run low, medical staff are overwhelmed and cholera mortality climbs, the security situation is preventing vital supplies from reaching those there to help. The Nord Department is currently experiencing a case fatality rate of 7.5% - the highest in Haiti.

'We call upon all involved in these clearly orchestrated demonstrations to stop immediately so national and international partners can continue to save lives with our response to the cholera," said Mr Fisher. "Every day we lose means hospitals go without supplies, patients go untreated and people remain ignorant of the danger they are facing. It is vital that everything possible is done to contain this outbreak in Cap Haitien while we still can - but this is very difficult in the current environment."

So far, the UN has been forced to cancel flights carrying soap, medical supplies and personnel to Cap Haitien and Port de Paix. On the ground, Oxfam reports suspension of a project to chlorinate water for 300,000 people in slum areas, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has halted training of medical staff in cholera response and a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse has been looted of 500 metric tonnes of food and burned. Road blocks set up by demonstrators are also hampering people from getting to hospital.

"We condemn without reservation the attack on the WFP warehouse, and the looting of such life saving supplies," added Mr Fisher. "We call upon all who perpetrate such acts to remember that such supplies and the urgent work to combat cholera are the difference between life and death for everyone affected by this epidemic."

The UN is currently coordinating an urgent international appeal for $164 million to fund cholera response in Haiti.

ENDS

For further information, please call:

Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1917 367 5126, mobile +1917 892 1679, bunker@un. org, Emmanuelle Schneider +1646 241 4651, mobile +1646 752 3117, schneiderl @un.org, Imogen Wall +509 34912244, wall@un.org, Elisabeth Byrs OCHA-Geneva, +4122 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 4734570, byrs@un.org.

OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline. un. org or www. reliefweb. int.

The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors.