Japan provides US$3-million to aid Haiti in fighting cholera

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti – The Government of Japan has provided Haiti emergency aid of US$3-million in response to its ongoing cholera outbreak.

 A woman suffering from cholera is treated at a hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (UNICEF/Odelyn Joseph) A woman suffering from cholera is treated at a hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (UNICEF/Odelyn Joseph)According to Japanese officials, the aid will be delivered through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Program (WFP) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

“This emergency grant aid will allow implementing humanitarian assistance in the areas of health, water and sanitation, and food in Haiti,” the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a media release on Friday. 

“Japan will continue to work closely with the international community toward improving the humanitarian situation in Haiti,” it stated.

After more than 3 years with no reported cases of cholera in Haiti, on 2 October 2022, the national authorities reported two confirmed cases of Vibrio cholerae O1 in the greater Port-au-Prince area.

To date, Haiti has recorded 452 deaths, 1,550 confirmed cases and 22.649 suspected cases of cholera.