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UN Approves Use of Unspent Funds on Haiti's Cholera Epidemic


FILE - Victims of cholera receive treatment in Anse D'Hainault, Haiti, Oct. 11, 2016.
FILE - Victims of cholera receive treatment in Anse D'Hainault, Haiti, Oct. 11, 2016.

The U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution Thursday to transfer unused funds from the peacekeeping mission in Haiti to help fight a cholera epidemic.

The 13-year-long peacekeeping mission ends in October, and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says $40.5 million will be left over. He is giving countries that are part of the mission 60 days to inform him whether they are willing to carry out the transfer of unspent money.

Deputy U.S. Ambassador Michele Sison has said the U.S. will not contribute, noting it has already spent $100 million to help Haiti fight cholera.

U.S. President Donald Trump has called for cuts in U.N. peacekeeping spending.

Haiti's cholera outbreak erupted in 2010 when Nepalese peacekeepers helping with earthquake recovery inadvertently contaminated water with raw sewage.

More than 9,500 people have died since the outbreak began.

The U.N. formally apologized and took moral but not legal responsibility for the epidemic, frustrating Haitians and their lawyers who attempted to take the U.N. to court.

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