Reemergence of cholera in Haiti raises int'l concern

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Haiti's Ministry of Public Health has sounded the alarm about the resurgence of cholera, which has claimed at least seven lives on the Caribbean island, raising concern among international organizations.

General Director of the Ministry of Public Health Laure Adrien said recently the government has taken measures to curb the spread of the disease, including investigating potential cases, after the first two cases were reported on Sunday.

"Most of the victims died in their communities and could not go to hospitals," Adrien said at a press conference on Sunday.

The outbreak is concentrated in two areas of the capital Port-au-Prince that are under the control of criminal gangs, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.

In a statement released on Monday, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern for the health and security of the people in Haiti.

Guterres requested "immediate and unrestricted" access to all Haitian territory to facilitate the delivery of fuel for humanitarian purposes.

Due to civil unrest and gang rivalry, fuel deliveries have been blocked in Port-au-Prince since mid-September, affecting both the daily lives of Haitians and the ability of UN workers, other agencies and the international community to respond to the serious crisis in the country, the UN noted.

The global organization is particularly sensitive to cholera cases in Haiti, which had not recorded any cases in the past three years.

In 2010, about 9,700 people died from a cholera outbreak in Haiti traced back to a base camp for UN peacekeepers from Nepal.