The UN State of Denial in Haiti

UN tank in Cite Soleil, 2007
(Photo by John Carroll)

In January of 2007 I talked to a lady in Cite Soleil who told me that UN helicopters had hovered over her neighborhood in late-December, 2006 and shot down on them. Three of her daughters were allegedly hit by these UN bullets as they were diving below their beds in the house. I examined the three girls and saw their bullet wounds. And I went to their house and saw the bullet holes in their second floor roof. The holes in the roof were "entry" holes. How did these bullet holes pierce the roof if they did not come from above? And how did the three sisters get shot if the bullets did not come from above?

Nineteen year old Soleil woman shot in left shoulder.
(Photo by John Carroll, January 2007)

In New York City the UN denied that they shot down on Soleil from their helicopter.

In 2009 I was at the funeral of Fr. Gerry Jean-Juste in Port-au-Prince. Father Gerry was a Catholic priest who was a friend to many. However, he was considered dangerous and a threat by the interim Haitian government. (He had also been exiled for 18 years in the United States by the government of Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier.)

Right after the funeral mass was over and we were leaving church, I heard six or seven sickening gun shots. A young Haitian man right outside of church had his head blown off by UN soldiers sitting inside a MINUSTAH vehicle. The smoke could be seen exiting their rifle barrels from the back of their truck as they pulled away from the side of the cathedral.

People diving for cover during shooting at Fr. Jean-Juste's funeral.
(Photo by John Carroll, 2009)

However, the MINUSTAH spokesperson said that a rock hit the Haitian guy. I didn't know a rock sounded like rifle shots when it strikes someone in the head. MINUSTAH never admitted to killing this man.

And now the UN says they won't pay up for the cholera outbreak that has killed over 8,000 Haitians from October 20, 2010 until today. And those are only the cholera deaths that we have recorded. Many cholera deaths in Haiti's mountains and slums are never recorded.

Cholera victim, 2011
(Photo by John Carroll)

See this tweet:

How the U.N. caused Haiti's Cholera crisis -- and Won't Be Held Responsible - The Atlantic theatlantic.com/international/…
— John A. Carroll (@haitianhearts) February 26, 2013

John A. Carroll, MD
www.haitianhearts.org