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UN warns cholera cases in Haiti could skyrocket

Photo: Kuwait Times

AFP

The United Nations warned Thursday of a possible explosion of cholera cases in crisis-wracked Haiti.

The international body called for the creation of a humanitarian corridor to ease a blockage of the country’s main fuel import terminal so as to get services running again and make clean water available.

Haiti announced Sunday its first cases of cholera in three years, with seven people dead of the disease.

Eleven cases have been confirmed, and there are another 111 suspected cases, but the real numbers could be much higher, said Ulrika Richardson, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Haiti.

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Speaking from Haiti via video, she said that for now, the cases seem to be limited mainly to the capital Port-au-Prince.

“With the current conditions in Haiti, and if not all the good conditions are met, we are actually in for quite an exponential if not explosive increase of cholera cases,” she said.

“One could even say that perhaps the conditions are there for a perfect storm, unfortunately.”

A cholera epidemic in Haiti killed more than 10,000 people from 2010 to 2019.

Since the government announced fuel price hikes on September 11, already unstable and destitute Haiti was hit with riots, looting and demonstrations.

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And since mid-September, the country’s largest fuel import terminal, in Varreux, has been controlled by powerful armed gangs.

“That means that the whole country is running short of fuel,” said Richardson. So some hospitals and other health facilities are closing down, and garbage is piling up in the streets.

Water distribution has been interrupted, which is dangerous as clean water is essential for fighting a cholera epidemic, because the bacteria that causes it is water-born, Richardson explained.

The United Nations and other humanitarian organizations made an appeal Thursday for the creation of a humanitarian corridor to allow for the release of fuel at the Varreux terminal and meet people’s urgent needs.

The government must do everything it can to unblock the fuel terminal, said Richardson.

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And the gangs holding the terminal must know, she said, that “this is killing people, literally killing people.”

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International

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to meet Guatemalan leader Bernardo Arévalo next friday

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Monday that she will hold her first bilateral meeting with her Guatemalan counterpart, Bernardo Arévalo, next Friday.

During her press conference at the National Palace, Sheinbaum detailed that the August 15 meeting will include a brief visit to Guatemala, followed by a trilateral meeting with Belize’s Prime Minister, Juan Antonio Briceño, in Calakmul, Campeche, in southeastern Mexico.

Sheinbaum explained that the meeting was proposed by Arévalo during a phone call last Friday, in which the Guatemalan president invited her to visit Guatemala.

The agenda will begin on Thursday night when Sheinbaum travels to Chetumal to lead her morning press conference on Friday.

Afterwards, she will travel to Guatemala for the bilateral meeting with Arévalo, then return to Calakmul to meet Belize’s Prime Minister Briceño for a trilateral meeting with Arévalo.

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Later, Sheinbaum will hold a bilateral meeting with the Belizean leader.

The president announced that many agreements will be announced during the meetings with the southern border countries but avoided providing details to keep them as a surprise for that day.

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International

Mexico City airport resumes flights after heavy rain causes flooding and delays

Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport resumed operations on Monday after heavy rains on Sunday evening forced a temporary suspension of flights.

In a statement released Monday morning, the airport explained that due to rainfall measuring between 50 and 77 millimeters, operations were halted amid reports of poor visibility and flooding that caused damage to terminals and a collapse of the airport’s drainage system.

The four-hour suspension to drain water affected 104 flights and nearly 14,900 passengers, who had to be redirected to other airports across the country.

To address the flooding in the airside areas, buildings, and surrounding roads, vacuum trucks and motor pumps were deployed to ensure safe conditions on runways, taxiways, and platforms, allowing flight operations to resume, the Navy Secretariat said.

By 6:00 a.m. local time (12:00 GMT), traffic on runway 05 right – 23 left had not yet fully normalized, nearly six hours after runway 05 left – 23 right had been cleared for use.

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International

Mexico supports 81 nationals detained in Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ says president

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Monday that the government is monitoring and providing support to 81 Mexican nationals detained at a facility in Florida known as ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’ She also expressed her opposition to this type of detention center.

During her morning press conference at the National Palace, Sheinbaum explained that the Mexican consulate in Miami has interviewed the detainees during visits between July 23 and August 11 and maintains ongoing communication with them.

“Our colleague, former Governor of Chiapas Rutilio Escandón, regularly visits the facility to check on the needs of those detained. At the same time, we are working diplomatically to ensure that they remain there for as few days as possible,” she said.

She also emphasized that legal support is provided to those wishing to expedite their deportation to Mexico, as well as assistance for those who choose to pursue legal proceedings in the U.S. before repatriation.

Sheinbaum noted that so far, there have been no reports of human rights violations and stressed the importance of constant communication with the nationals.

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“Obviously, we do not agree with these types of detention centers. They are state-run, not federal; they belong to the state of Florida,” she added.

She also explained that in some cases, detainees are later transferred to federal facilities before deportation, provided there are no ongoing legal proceedings.

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