Cholera

Now that the hurricane is past and the rains have stopped we are watching the cholera situation. The official count now lists the number of deaths from cholera nearing 1,000, with another 12,000 being treated. Because of the poor hygiene conditions in Haiti, the bacteria is spreading at an accelerated rate. The poor living conditions and lack of clean water aid the spread of the bacteria.

With the death rate exceeding 100 per day, there is a problem of what to do with all the deceased. There is a shortage of coffins and also unavailable space to bury the people. More and more cases are appearing in Port au Prince where the situation is especially precarious since the city is still full of rubble from the January earthquake and since so many are still living in tents.

People on the Dominican side of the border are watching the situation in Haiti and hoping the cholera will not spread to this side of the island. There have not been any "official" cases of cholera in the DR yet, although there have been several reported cases. For the past two weeks the border has been closed and the authorities are keeping a tight watch on anyone coming over the border, most Haitians are not allowed to cross into the DR. The border was opened for a short time this past Friday, and three women were trampled in the stampede of people that tried to cross into the DR. This is causing increasing tension between the two countries. The governments of the two countries are trying to come to an agreement of an orderly passage of people over the border, but until they formulate a plan, everyone is watching and waiting.