JUST a few months ago, on July 26, 2010, Lucius Walker, leader of the U.S. Pastors for Peace organization, asked me during a meeting with Cuban intellectuals and artists what was the solution to Haiti’s problems.
With no hesitation, I replied: "In the current world there is no solution, Lucius; in the future of which I am talking, there is. The United States is a huge producer of foodstuffs, it can feed two billion persons, it could have the capacity to build earthquake resistant houses; the problem is the way in which resources are distributed. Haiti’s territory has to be restored again right down to its forests; but there is no solution within the current world order."
Lucius was referring to the problems of that mountainous, overpopulated country, stripped of trees, fuel for cooking, communications and industries, with a high percentage of illiteracy, diseases such as HIV and occupied by UN troops.
"When those circumstances change – I added – you yourselves, Lucius, can take US foodstuffs to Haiti."
The noble and humanitarian leader of Pastors for Peace died six weeks later, on September 7, aged 80, sowing the seed of his example for many United States citizens.
An additional tragedy had not as yet appeared: the cholera epidemic, with more than 3,000 cases recorded on October 25. That terrible calamity was compounded by a hurricane lashing its territory on November 5, causing flooding and rivers overflowing their banks.
This conjunction of dramatic circumstances merits being given due attention.
Cholera appeared for the first time in modern history in 1817, when one of the major pandemics ravaged humanity in the 19th century and caused heavy mortality, principally in India. In 1826, the epidemic reoccurred, invading Europe, including Moscow, Berlin and London, and extending to our hemisphere from 1832 to 1839.
Another and even more devastating epidemic broke out in 1846, which struck three continents: Asia, Africa and America. Epidemics affecting those three regions continued to reoccur throughout that century. However, in the course of more than 100 years, including almost the entire 20th century, the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean remained free of this disease, until January 27, 1991, when it appeared in the port of Chancay in northern Peru, and first extended along the Pacific coasts and then the Atlantic coasts to 16 countries; 650,000 people became sick over a period of six years.
Without any doubt whatsoever, the epidemic is affecting to a much greater degree poor countries, whose cities are crowded with densely populated barrios that often lack drinking water, and sewer systems, carriers of the cholera vibrio that causes the disease, are mixed with water sources.
In the special case of Haiti, the earthquake destroyed the water and sewage networks where these existed, and millions of people are living in tents which frequently even lack latrines, and everything is mixed together.
The epidemic which affected our hemisphere in 1991 was the cholera vibrio 01, biotype eltor, serotype Ogawa, exactly the same one that penetrated via Peru that year.
Jon K, Andrus, deputy director of the Pan American Health Organization, has stated that the bacterium present in Haiti was precisely that one. A series of circumstances can be inferred from that to be borne in mind and which, at an appropriate moment, will determine important considerations.
As is known, our country has been training excellent Haitian doctors and providing health services in that sister country for many years. There were very serious problems in that field and advances were being made year by year. Nobody could have imagined, given the lack of antecedents, the occurrence of an earthquake which would kill more than 250,000 people and cause countless deaths and injuries. In the face of that unexpected blow, our internationalist doctors redoubled their efforts and devoted themselves to their work without rest.
In the midst of a harsh natural disaster, the cholera epidemic broke out with much force barely one month ago; and, as we have stated, the hurricane arrived in those unfavorable circumstances.
Given the gravity of the situation, Valerie Amos, UN under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs, stated yesterday that 350 more doctors and 2,000 nurses are needed to confront the disease.
The official called for aid to be extended outside of Port-au-Prince, and revealed that supplies of soap and clean water are only reaching 10% of families living outside of the capital, without counting how many people were arriving in that city.
In the last few days, various UN officials have lamented the fact that the international community’s response to the request for aid to confront the situation has not even reached 10% of the $164 million urgently requested.
"Amos called for a rapid and urgent reaction in order to avert the death of more human beings from cholera," a news agency reported.
Another agency communicated today that the total of dead Haitians has risen to "1,523 people, 66,593 have been treated, and more than one million inhabitants are still sleeping in public plazas."
Close to 40% of the sick have received medical attention from members of the Cuban Medical Brigade, which comprises 965 doctors, nurses and technical personnel, who have managed to reduce the number of deaths to less than one per every 100. With that level of attention the number of casualties should not exceed a total of 700. As a rule, the persons who have died were extremely weakened by malnutrition or similar causes. Sick children diagnosed in time very rarely die.
It is extremely important to avoid the epidemic spreading to other Latin American and Caribbean countries, because in the current circumstances that would inflict exceptional damage on the nations of this hemisphere.
There is an imperative need to seek efficient and rapid solutions to the battle against that epidemic.
Today, the decision was taken by the
Party and the government of Cuba to reinforce the Cuban Medical Brigade in Haiti with a contingent from the Henry Reeve Brigade composed of 300 doctors, nurses and health technicians, which adds up to more than 1,200 collaborators.
Raúl was visited other regions of the country, and was informed in detail of everything.
The people of Cuba, the Party and the government are once again rising to the height of their glorious and heroic history.
Fidel Castro Ruz
November 26, 2010
9:58 p.m.
Translated by Granma International
http://www.granma.cu/ingles/reflections-i/26nov-reflections.html
Mods - there is open permission for Fidel Castros Reflections to be republished unamended in their entirety.
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