Current Affairs: Haiti Cholera Outbreak
Current Affairs: Haiti Cholera Outbreak Began in late October, the cholera outbreak triggered by improper sanitation have spread throughout Haiti as well as its capital, Port au Prince. At least 250 people have died and more than 3,000 are sickened by the illness, which causes diarrhoea, acute fever, vomiting and severe dehydration. Currently, only those with the most severe cases of diarrhoea are being admitted because of resource shortage.
The issue have become global as the international aid organizations are scrambling to control the epidemic and over 12,000 strong UN peacekeeping forces are maintaining safety and securing within the country. Therefore, there is a significantly large foreign occupation within the country. Evidently, this disaster will bring dire political, social and economic consequences in a country already reliant on foreign relief aid to keep itself afloat after the January Earthquake disaster which killed some 250,000 people and left 1. million homeless. Therefore it will have further long term social impact on the fabric of the community and well being of the individuals and families. The basic survival need of water is now in jeopardy with the contamination of local water supply. As such, there are fears that it could eventually sicken 400,000 people over the next 12 months if the outbreak reaches camps housing the survivors of earthquake. With fear and frustration escalating, Haitians resorted to violence on the city streets.
As such, it also poses a concern of safety and security for Canadian aid workers in Haiti. Therefore, it comes to a dilemma for whether Canada should follow its national interest of safety and security to protect its foreign aid workers and withdraw from Haiti or follow its humanitarian foreign affairs. As well, the violence could have political impacts on Haiti as it could further spark corruption in the forthcoming election. It would spark increasing corruption during the election process.
The election will be particularly important for Haiti, as the next president will be tasked with overseeing the distribution of billions of dollars in foreign aid money. Also, with thousands hospitalised, the country is at an economic standstill. The current cholera epidemic struggle will greatly impact the Canadian society. This includes further humanitarian aid funding from Canada out of our tax money. As well, the appeal for more doctors and nurses to be sent to Haiti will impact our healthcare at home in a time when we are still in need of doctors.
The issue connects to internationalism and nationalism in that it concerns the humanitarian foreign policy and the national interest of each nation to provide aid to Haiti. Nonetheless, on the other hand, the issue is also a matter of national independence and self-governance as the country is increasingly occupied by foreign aid workers, and UN military forces. The recent riot by at least 1000 protesters at the base of Nepalese UN peacekeepers sends a strong message that they are not welcomed.
The riot is believed to be organized by one of the presidential electorate, and therefore illustrates a divided political nationalism within the country. Therefore, to what extent should Canada provide humanitarian aid and support to Haiti? In my perspective, Canada should continually give humanitarian assistance to the victims of the cholera epidemic in Haiti to an extent where it will not threaten the national self-determination of Haiti nor override its own national interest of advancing the health of its citizens.
First of all, it is in our collective value and humanitarian principle to provide humanitarian activities for those that are struggling for the basic survival need of health, water, and shelter, secondly, we must respect the need for national self-determination and independence of Haiti, and lastly, Canada must prioritize its own national interest of providing basic health, safety and security for its own Canadian citizens. Reference List Haitians protest UN base over cholera rumour.
CTV News. Retrieved November 21,2010, from http://www. ctv. ca/CTVNews/World/20101115/haiti-cholera-101115/ Cholera, violence threaten Haiti’s presidential vote. CTV News. Retrieved November 28, 2010 from http://www. ctv. ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20101124/ cholera-haiti-laflamme-101124/ Haiti cholera outbreak response ‘inadequate’, says MSF. BBC NEWS: Latin America and Caribbean. Retrieved December 05, 2010 from http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/world-latin-america-11802488
