Discours du Secrétaire général des Nations Unies au lancement de la campagne d’assainissement total de Los Palmas

Bonswa. [Good afternoon in Creole]

Merci à toutes et à tous du chaleureux accueil que vous m’avez réservé.
Ma visite à Los Palmas a été riche en émotions : elle a été marquée par la tristesse, mais aussi l’espoir.

Nous sommes ici aujourd’hui pour lancer une initiative importante.

Une initiative qui peut protéger les populations contre les maladies transmises par l’eau.

Une initiative qui peut contribuer à éliminer le choléra en Haïti.

Une initiative qui peut améliorer des vies.

La campagne d’assainissement total est un jalon en matière de développement pour Haïti.

Elle est nécessaire; cela ne fait aucun doute. Un Haïtien sur deux n’a pas accès à un réseau d’assainissement adéquat, ce qui a des conséquences terribles non seulement pour la santé mais aussi pour l’avenir de chaque femme, chaque homme, chaque enfant.

The Total Sanitation Campaign is an initiative of the Government of Haiti, supported by the United Nations.  It targets everyone, but especially the most vulnerable.  It aims to raise sanitation standards and improve health conditions in general.

The cost is modest: only four dollars per person to save lives and secure the future.

I am pleased to launch this campaign in Los Palmas. Together with its neighboring locality, Jacob, the men and women of the community have demonstrated what communities can do, with a little bit of help, to be the drivers of their own development.

The area of Los Palmas has had very limited access to basic health services.  It was significantly affected by cholera in the past.  But Los Palmas and Jacob have been free of cholera since early 2013.

Thanks to community efforts and with our support, this area is now one of the few localities in Haiti that is considered a “green zone” in terms of sanitation standards.

With partnership and support, similar progress can become a reality for every family in Haiti.

In that spirit, I would like to thank UNICEF for the tremendous energy and dedication it has brought to this sanitation campaign. I would also like to thank the Governments of Canada and Japan, as well as a number of international non-governmental organizations, who have also provided crucial assistance and expertise.

The United Nations stands ready to help expand the initiative to the most remote areas and to places where cholera persists. Together with the World Bank, the United Nations will assist the Government of Haiti in targeting an initial 20 communes affected by the disease, covering 3 million people.

Cholera rates are declining and the battle is slowly being won.  We must, however, intensify these efforts.  And we must focus on the wider quest to ensure access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

I call upon all of Haiti’s international partners to support this initiative and help us expand it to every community in Haiti.  With commitment, vision and solidarity, the progress we seek -- and that Haitians deserve -- can be ours.

You can count on me and the United Nations to do my part.

Thank you.

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