MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Unasur begins shipping medicines and aid to fight outbreak of cholera in Haiti

Conditions in Haiti for looking after patients are very primitive

The Union of South American nations, Unasur agreed to ship to Haiti medicines, drinking water and other needed aid to help combat the outbreak of cholera in the Caribbean island.

The first shipment will leave Wednesday form Venezuela reported Unasur following a video conference among the group’s Health ministers.

Ecuador which is coordinating the emergency package since it holds the rotating Unasur chair did not mention a value of the fist shipment but said that the Haiti government is expected to present a list with the most immediate needs.

So far and according to the Haiti authorities the cholera outbreak has caused 259 deaths but the Pan American Health Organization warned in Washington that the number of cases will increase and the disease will most probably spread to neighbouring Dominica Republic.

Haiti authorities claim the cholera outbreak was “imported” since the island had had no reported cases of the disease for over a century.

Meantime the foreign affairs ministers of Ecuador Ricardo Patiño and Guyana Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett are preparing the transfer of Unasur temporary presidency from Quito to Georgetown. The official transfer is scheduled to take place November 26

Patiño during his brief visit was received in a special audience by President Bharrat Jagdeo, who will be hosting the regional presidential summit when the transfer.

Ecuador is holding the pro tempore presidency of Unasur since August 10 last year when it was handed over by Chile.

Unasur is made up of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Guayana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay and Venezuela. So far seven countries have ratified the Unasur founding charter and they are: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Guayana, Peru and Venezuela.