The United Nations is defending itself against claims its peacekeepers are responsible for a cholera outbreak in Haiti that killed some 8,000 people and sickened more than 650,000 in 2010 during the aftermath of a devastating earthquake.
The Boston-based Institute for Justice and Democracy announced Wednesday it is filing a complaint alleging the disease was introduced to the country by peacekeepers from Nepal and asking for compensation to the victims of the disease.
The United Nations has said it does not concede that it is responsible for the outbreak. It also claims it has diplomatic immunity against any legal claims of negligence.
The United Nations has said in the past that it does not accept claims for compensation for the outbreak, although the top human rights official at the U.N., Navi Pillay, suggested on Tuesday that the victims were entitled to compensation. She did not specify who should provide it.
The Boston-based Institute for Justice and Democracy announced Wednesday it is filing a complaint alleging the disease was introduced to the country by peacekeepers from Nepal and asking for compensation to the victims of the disease.
The United Nations has said it does not concede that it is responsible for the outbreak. It also claims it has diplomatic immunity against any legal claims of negligence.
The United Nations has said in the past that it does not accept claims for compensation for the outbreak, although the top human rights official at the U.N., Navi Pillay, suggested on Tuesday that the victims were entitled to compensation. She did not specify who should provide it.
