The United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) provided a degree of stability to post-earthquake Haiti. But in late 2010, MINUSTAH brought something else. Nepalese peacekeeping troops arrived to replenish their contingent—but some were infected with the bacteria vibrio cholerae. The troop’s base beside the Artibonite River had substandard sanitation, enabling feces containing vibrio cholerae bacteria to seep into the river. Haiti had no previously reported history of cholera, but the brackish water of the river was an ideal location for the bacteria to thrive. Extreme poverty, millions of displaced living in crowded conditions, poor water and sanitation infrastructure, and a population with no natural immunity ensured that cholera spread quickly in the post-earthquake environment.
Out of the approximately 750,000 people who were infected, 10,000 died. Many experts consider these figures to underestimate the true magnitude of the epidemic. Cholera is now endemic in Haiti, and will continue to infect and kill people for years to come.
The UN initially denied any link to the outbreak. Yet scientists quickly determined that this particular strain of cholera originated from an ongoing epidemic in Nepal. Initial cases were clustered near the Artibonite River. Journalists proved that sewage from the peacekeeping base contaminated the river, and verified that a new round of peacekeepers had arrived on rotation in October 2010. Journalists pressed the UN and other international organizations to identify the origins of the outbreak, but were told such an investigation would detract from efforts to fight the disease.
