Thursday, Valerie Amos Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, announced an additional contribution of 1,5 million dollars to fight against cholera in Haiti. This amount released by the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), of United Nations comes at a crucial time, as the cases of cholera in the country are expected to increase with the rainy season.

"Cholera has claimed over 8,100 lives and infected over 660,000 people since the outbreak began in Haiti in 2010," said the Operations Director of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), John Ging "It is vital that we do not allow more lives to be lost."

This new contribution, which will fund the treatment provided by humanitarian actors in high-risk areas, bringing the total amount spent by the CERF in the fight against cholera in Haiti to 4 million in 2013. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has also released an additional one million dollars.

However, more funds are needed as out of the $34.5 million requested by humanitarian organizations in 2013, only $5.7 million has been received so far.

"The CERF contribution is greatly appreciated," declared acting Humanitarian Coordinator for Haiti Sophie de Caen, "but we cannot rely upon the CERF as a primary funding source. I urge donors to increase their support to these critical activities."

Lack of funding has dramatically decreased capacity to respond to cholera in Haiti. The number of humanitarian organizations engaged in the response has fallen to less than half of what it was in 2012, from 107 to 43, and there is a serious gap in coverage in the north where most new cases are being recorded.

The UN is working with the Haitian government and civil society for capacity building in the country, in line with the initiative of the Secretary-General to support the National Plan for the Eradication of cholera, while addressing the current epidemic. "Much more needs to be done," concluded Mr. Ging.

HL/ HaitiLibre