Over the past four weeks thousands of Haitians have been sickened by the easily cured but rapidly spread cholera. The rising death toll now stands above 1200 and the United Nations anticipates that more than 200,000 of the nation’s population will be affected by the disease over the next year.
In response to the ongoing epidemic, rioters in Cap Hatien have begun to violently protest the United Nations occupancy in their country believing the source of the disease to be one of the Nepalese peacekeepers.
The U.N. has issued a statement denying the source of infection and insists it would be “likely impossible” to pinpoint patient zero.
In a nation still reeling from the effects of January’s earthquake, the epidemic in tandem with political tensions stemming for the upcoming elections have created an extremely volatile and unstable environment.
Over the next few weeks we will continue to closely monitor the situation in Haiti. The safety of our volunteers is our number one priority and we will never put our mission above this. While it is still too early to make a decision, we will be forced to postpone the trip if the violence continues.
At this time, we will be going to Haiti January 12-16 as planned.
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