un cholera haiti
TRANSCRIPT
UN rejects claims UN rejects claims
Barbara PlettBarbara Plett reports for the reports for the BBCBBC
from cholera victimsfrom cholera victims
UN rejects claims from cholera victimsUN rejects claims from cholera victims
In a terse statement
the spokesman for the UNSecretary General Ban Ki-Moon
said the damages claimwas 'not receivable'
UN rejects claims from cholera victimsUN rejects claims from cholera victims
under a conventionunder a convention
that grants that grants
immunityimmunity
for its actions.for its actions.
United NationsUnited Nations
UN rejects claims from cholera victimsUN rejects claims from cholera victims
Families of the victimsFamilies of the victims
are demandingare demanding
millions of dollars in millions of dollars in compensationcompensation
accusing the UN of introducing
the disease to Haiti.
UN rejects claims from cholera victimsUN rejects claims from cholera victims
The UN has never admitted responsibility,
despite mounting evidence
that the epidemic was caused
UN rejects claims from cholera victimsUN rejects claims from cholera victims
by poor sanitation
at a
peacekeeping camp.
UN rejects claims from cholera victimsUN rejects claims from cholera victims
A lawyer for
the cholera victims
told the BBC that
UN immunity
could not mean impunity,
UN rejects claims from cholera victimsUN rejects claims from cholera victims
and said the case would now
be pursued in a national court.
UN rejects claims from cholera victimsUN rejects claims from cholera victims
The lawyer, Brian Concannon
said the victims' legal teamwould challenge
the UN's rightto immunity
from Haitian courts
UN rejects claims from cholera victimsUN rejects claims from cholera victims
on the grounds that
it hadn't established
an alternative mechanism for dealing with
accountability issues,
as stipulated in its agreement with
the government.
UN rejects claims from cholera victimsUN rejects claims from cholera victims
He also said lifting immunity
would not challenge UN policy,
which is protected by theconvention, but its practice
UN rejects claims from cholera victimsUN rejects claims from cholera victims
such as how to test troops
for disease
and properly
dispose of sewage.
UN rejects claims from cholera victimsUN rejects claims from cholera victims
There's evidence that infected
Nepalese peacekeepers caused
the epidemic by dumpinguntreated waste
into a key river system,
UN rejects claims from cholera victimsUN rejects claims from cholera victims
but the UN insists
it's impossible
to pinpoint blame definitively.
UN rejects claims from cholera victimsUN rejects claims from cholera victims
Late last year
it launched an initiative
to eliminate cholera
in Haiti by investing
in clean drinking water and sanitation systems,
UN rejects claims from cholera victimsUN rejects claims from cholera victims
a move Mr Concannon said
he considered
an unofficial response
to the victims' claims.
Barbara Plett Barbara Plett reports reports
for thefor the BBCBBC22 February 201322 February 2013