Dear Editor,

While it is very unfortunate that the United Nations (UN) has been linked to the outbreak of cholera that has been afflicting Haiti since the earthquake a few years ago, I think that the efforts currently underway in Haiti to sue the UN for the outbreak are misplaced.

When the cholera outbreak started soon after the Nepalese contingent of the UN forces arrived to assist Haiti with the earthquake, the UN rejected claims that it was responsible. One can understand why, initially, the UN found it hard to believe that it was the cause of the outbreak.

If the cholera outbreak is indeed linked to the Nepalese troops, then that would be more of an indication of the poor infrastructure that existed in Haiti than anything else. It certainly could not be said that the UN or the West deliberately started the outbreak as part of some grand plan.

Seeing that the UN’s involvement in Haiti after the earthquake represents efforts to help, the attempt to sue it is very much in poor taste.

There are many of us in the Caribbean, including so-called black nationalists, who want to punish the UN for the outbreak. It must be remembered that when the earthquake struck, our black nations offered very little real assistance. Strong black nations like Nigeria and South Africa ignored Haiti. Even Caricom, of which Haiti is a member and is mostly black, initially did very little.

Indeed, it took the non-black powers of Brazil, France, the United States, and Nepal through the UN to offer any real assistance. Haiti should instead be grateful to these powers and not angry at them.

Even though it is not completely certain that the UN is responsible for the outbreak, it is not ignoring it. Some time ago, the UN offered support and over US$23 million to both Haiti and the Dominican Republic to help combat the outbreak. The UN is still one of the major backers of efforts to fight cholera in Haiti today.

We must realise that had the UN ignored Haiti in its time of great need after the earthquake, things would have been much worse today. Those pressing this lawsuit should stop being so ungrateful and drop it.

Michael A Dingwall

michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com