Overview:
Health authorities in Haiti are warning of a cholera surge following Hurricane Melissa, which flooded key regions and contaminated drinking water supplies. While more than 2,900 suspected cases and 27 deaths have been reported since January, officials say recent spikes in neighborhoods like Pétion-Ville and Gran Gosier raise fears of a wider outbreak. The threat is compounded by insecurity, lack of clean water, and failing health infrastructure.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haitian health authorities are warning of a possible cholera surge in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, which brought heavy flooding and worsened already fragile sanitation conditions across the country.
Although Haiti’s public health ministry has reported more than 2,900 suspected cholera cases and 27 related deaths since January, officials say flooding from Hurricane Melissa has contaminated water sources and sharply increased the risk of a wider outbreak — particularly in areas like Pétion-Ville, where more than 130 suspected cases, including 20 confirmed and five deaths, were recorded in a single week last month. Human Rights Watch, citing its own assessment, reported 48 cholera-related deaths and 186 confirmed cases nationwide between Jan. 1 and Oct. 30 — a higher count than the government’s figures — and noted that more than a third of victims were children under 9. The group said the rise in cases in Pétion-Ville and surrounding neighborhoods such as Delmas, Tabarre, and Carrefour reflects a resurgence after 11 weeks without new infections.
“Access to clean water, sanitation, and community engagement are crucial in fighting waterborne diseases,” Public Health Minister Sinal Bertrand said, urging residents to boil water and take precautions as public health teams ramp up response efforts.
Officials at the Minister of Public Health and Population (MSPP) said heavy flooding from Hurricane Melissa has contaminated several water sources and wells used by locals. They warned of increased risks of other diseases, including typhoid, malaria, and acute diarrhea.
“Access to clean drinking water, community sanitation, and citizen engagement are crucial in the fight against waterborne diseases.”
Sinal Bertrand, Public Health Minister
“Cholera is once again threatening thousands of lives in Haiti because the population lacks access to basic services such as clean water, sanitation, and medical care,” said Nathalye Cotrino, a researcher at Human Rights Watch.
“The epidemic, which coincides with the seasonal increase during the rainy period, is spreading in Port-au-Prince and its metropolitan area, while the capital’s health infrastructure is on the verge of collapse and insecurity is worsening.”
To contain the spread, authorities have launched sanitation, fumigation, and pest control in Port-au-Prince and the southern region. They said health teams are running hygiene and food safety campaigns in vulnerable areas.
The ministry said its response is being coordinated with the National Directorate for Drinking Water and Sanitation (DINEPA), Economic and Social Assistance Fund (FAES), and the Ministry of Public Works, with a strategy focused on safe drinking water access and community sanitation.
The resurgence recalled Haiti’s tragic 2010 cholera outbreak, when wastewater discharge from a United Nations base contaminated a river, leading to nearly 10,000 deaths and over 820,000 infections. After years of effort, Haiti went three years without any confirmed cases until the disease resurfaced in 2022.
Health authorities warn of a cholera surge after Hurricane Melissa
- 2,900 suspected cholera cases nationwide since January
- 27 deaths, including 20 in communities and 7 in hospitals
- 139 cases and 5 deaths reported in Pétion-Ville in one week
- 43 deaths from Hurricane Melissa as of Nov. 4
30+ hospitals closed due to attacks and vandalism
According to Human Rights Watch, persistent problems, poor sanitation, limited access to clean water, and a weak emergency preparedness system continue to leave millions at serious risk. The authorities urge the population to boil or treat water, wash hands regularly with soap, avoid raw or undercooked food, and seek immediate medical attention for acute diarrhea.
The country’s healthcare capacity remains dangerously thin. More than 30 healthcare facilities have stopped operating due to vandalism, fires, or gang attacks. Among them is the State University Hospital, the largest hospital located in the capital, and the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) emergency center in Turgeau, which closed last month after multiple armed assaults endangering staff and patients. Many of these closed hospitals previously provided critical medical support for monitoring and treating epidemics.
As part of the national response, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) opened a new cholera treatment center in Bristou, Pétion-Ville, on Oct. 18. In a note, the MSPP said its investigation of water sources in the locality of Diègue, in Pèlerin 5, identified them as the likely origin of the current outbreak.
“On site, the observations made by the minister and experts were clear,” the MSPP said. “There was evident contamination of the water sources due to the proximity of homes and the presence of organic waste.”
The hurricane’s aftermath has also left a heavy human toll — 43 deaths, 13 people missing and thousands displaced in temporary shelters. Conditions in camps for those uprooted by gang violence are particularly dire, with heightened risk of disease.
International partners have pledged emergency aid. The European Union announced €5 million, while the United States committed $8.5 million through UNICEF, Catholic Relief Services, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the World Food Programme (WFP). The funds will go directly to humanitarian agencies rather than the Haitian government.
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