Haitians attack cholera clinic

A crowd threw stones and a Molotov cocktail at a Doctors Without Borders clinic in St. Marc yesterday, fearing it would spread the disease.

Health workers are attempting to allay Haitians’ fears amid a growing outbreak of cholera that has claimed 284 lives and infected 3,769 others since last week. Cholera has not been seen in Haiti for generations, and many of the local population believe aid workers who came to the country after the devastating earthquake in January are spreading the disease. The 400-bed facility in St. Marc was set to open this week but UN peacekeepers had to be called in when a crowd of protestors attacked it yesterday. The soldiers fired blanks and the crowd dispersed, but aid workers said they would be forced to relocate to another neighbourhood. More than 420 new cholera cases were confirmed on Tuesday.