Haiti's Cholera Epidemic

It seems like Haiti just can't catch a break. The article starts out mentioning how it is very possible that the deadly outbreak is a direct result of U.N. intervention three years ago. Now the U.N.'s focus is on battling the disease. The only problem is there is a serious lack of funds for this project. The goal for the project was 38 Million dollars and they were able to raise about 9.5 million. Without those funds the problem will not go away and the people of Haiti will continue to die. This is the second natural disaster to hit in three years and I'm sure it will have lasing and far reaching effects. The U.N. also is struggling to raise money for vaccines, which will add to the crisis as the rainy seasons approach. Aside from these costs are the costs of updating Haiti's infrastructure and water sanitation systems. The United Nation's secretary general blames what he calls "donor fatigue" in the face of humanitarian disasters. Add all of these factors to the fact that the country is still in shambles from the earthquake and it is not hard to see how all of this happened. This is a prime example of the international community being unable to provide any kind help in the face of crises in countries that could use as much help as they could get, which has come up several times in class. The concept of people only acting out of self interest also comes up in this story. No one will help Haiti because fixing Haiti has no economic incentives. It will be interesting to see what happens next, especially with all of the law suits. Personally, I'm rooting for Haiti, but that means who ever is asleep at the wheel here has to wake up. 

Katie Krupica

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