International

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.”

International

Brazil offers to mediate Colombia-Ecuador tensions, calls for restraint

The government of Brazil has offered to mediate in the ongoing tensions between Colombia and Ecuador, while calling on both nations to exercise restraint.

In a statement released Wednesday, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the parties involved to act with moderation and seek a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

“Brazil encourages all sides to act with moderation in order to find a peaceful solution to the controversy. It stands ready to support dialogue efforts aimed at preserving peace and security in the region,” the statement said.

Brazil also expressed “serious concern” over reports of deaths in the border area between Colombia and Ecuador, noting that the circumstances surrounding the incidents have not yet been clarified.

The diplomatic move comes amid rising tensions between the neighboring countries, increasing regional concern over stability and security along their shared border.

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International

U.S. lowers travel advisory for much of Venezuela but keeps high-risk zones under warning

The U.S. Department of State announced on Thursday that it has lowered its travel advisory for much of Venezuela to Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”), reflecting what it described as improved security conditions in parts of the country.

However, the agency will maintain the highest Level 4 warning (“Do Not Travel”) for several regions, including the states of Táchira, Amazonas, Apure, Aragua and Guárico, as well as rural areas of Bolívar, citing ongoing risks such as crime, kidnapping and terrorism.

The updated advisory marks a shift from December, when the United States raised the alert for Venezuela to Level 4 nationwide, warning of severe security threats.

Despite the partial downgrade, U.S. authorities continue to urge caution, emphasizing that conditions remain volatile in certain areas and that travelers should carefully assess risks before planning any trips to the country.

International

EU lawmakers move to ban AI tools that generate non-consensual nude images

Members of the European Parliament are pushing to ban across the bloc artificial intelligence services that allow users to digitally “undress” people without their consent.

The proposal, adopted on Wednesday at committee level, aims to prohibit applications that generate non-consensual explicit images. Irish lawmaker Michael McNamara, one of the sponsors, said the measure seeks to stop tools that “have caused significant harm for the benefit of a few.”

Dutch MEP Kim van Sparrentak welcomed the move, calling it “a major victory, especially for women and children in Europe.”

The amendment, part of broader EU legislation on artificial intelligence, was approved by the Parliament’s civil liberties and internal market committees. It specifically targets systems that use AI to create or manipulate sexually explicit or intimate images resembling identifiable individuals without their consent.

The proposal will be put to a full vote in the European Parliament on March 26. If adopted, lawmakers and European Union member states will need to agree on a final version before it can take effect.

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Separately, representatives of the 27 EU countries recently backed a Franco-Spanish amendment seeking to ban AI services used to generate non-consensual sexual images or child sexual abuse material.

The initiative follows controversy surrounding a feature introduced in Grok, developed by xAI, which allowed users to create simulated nude images from real photos. The tool sparked widespread criticism and prompted an EU investigation.

In response, xAI restricted image generation features in mid-January to paying subscribers and stated it blocks the creation of sexualized images in jurisdictions where such content is illegal.