Concerns grow as cholera spreads through Haiti's prisons

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A nonprofit organization on Tuesday called on Haiti’s government to release certain inmates amid a swift rise in cholera cases throughout the country’s severely crowded prison system and dwindling supplies of clean water.

Health through Walls, which provides medical care to prisoners in Haiti, noted that not only inmates are at risk, but also security guards, kitchen workers and health staff.

“Immediate action is necessary to avert more preventable deaths within the prisons,” the organization said. “The situation has not been more dire.”

The call comes as Haiti remains largely paralyzed by gangs and antigovernment protesters, leading to severe shortages of fuel, water and other basic supplies as the government calls for the immediate intervention of foreign troops.