Civil Society Groups Appeal to UN Secretary-General for Response to Haiti Cholera Claims

November marks one year since filing of claims without substantive response from UN

November 29, 2012, NEW YORK — Forty-eight prominent human rights groups from civil society and academia appealed to United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to demonstrate UN leadership in human rights by responding to claims of victims of the raging cholera epidemic that UN troops brought to Haiti two years ago.

This month marks one year since over 5,000 victims of cholera filed claims with the UN seeking justice for their injuries. The claims seek a) provision of the water and sanitation infrastructure necessary to control the cholera epidemic, b) compensation and c) a public apology. In its acknowledgement of receipt of the victims’ claims in December 2011, the UN promised a response “in due course,” but has since not responded to the victims or publicly disclosed any information about its legal process beyond that it is “studying the claims.”

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