Grave Violation of the Right to Water in Haiti. Cholera struck Haiti in October 2010. It was the first time that the country had ever recorded an outbreak of the disease which has now become the largest single country epidemic in the world. A recent report published by the John Marshall Law School and the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti provides a case study of strategies used and examines the difficulties that victims who have sought accountability have faced.

The aim of the publication is to show the clear barriers that exist to remedy the current situation. These include structural causes and power relations that continue to restrict access to mechanisms that can facilitate accountability. The report finds that cholera presents a significant barrier to Haitians’ basic human rights including the right to life, clean water and sanitation and a healthy environment.