The United Nations has rolled out new details about its $400 million cholera response plan in Haiti and its struggles to gain a steady footing on funding, as the U.N.’s chief for the first time formally apologized to the Haitian people for its role in the disease’s lethal outbreak.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivered a speech in Creole, French and English on Thursday afternoon at U.N. Headquarters. He apologized for taking insufficient action on stopping the epidemic, but he stopped short of accepting sole responsibility for bringing cholera to Haiti in 2010.
“On behalf of the United Nations, I want to say very clearly: we apologise to the Haitian people. We simply did not do enough with regard to the cholera outbreak and its spread in Haiti. We are profoundly sorry for our role,” he said. “This has cast a shadow upon the relationship between the United Nations and the people of Haiti. It is a blemish on the reputation of U.N. peacekeeping and the organization worldwide.”
About the author
Amy Liebermanamylieberman
Amy Lieberman is the U.N. Correspondent for Devex. She covers the United Nations and reports on global development and politics. Amy previously worked as a freelance reporter, covering the environment, human rights, immigration, and health across the U.S. and in more than 10 countries, including Colombia, Mexico, Nepal, and Cambodia. Her coverage has appeared in the Guardian, the Atlantic, Slate, and the Los Angeles Times. A native New Yorker, Amy received her master’s degree in politics and government from Columbia’s School of Journalism.