联合国秘书长潘基文为2010年海地爆发霍乱道歉

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon apologized to the people of Haiti on Thursday, more than six years after U.N. peacekeepers were blamed for causing a deadly cholera epidemic on the island nation.

“On behalf of the United Nations, I want to say very clearly: we apologize to the Haitian people,” Ban told an informal meeting of U.N. member states. “We simply did not do enough with regard to the cholera outbreak and its spread in Haiti. We are profoundly sorry for our role,” he added.

Ban's apology, his most direct to date, fell short of admitting that U.N. peacekeepers brought the potentially fatal illness to Haiti. “This has cast a shadow upon the relationship between the United Nations and the people of Haiti,” he said. “It is a blemish on the reputation of U.N. peacekeeping and the organization worldwide.”

It is widely accepted that Nepalese peacekeepers who were sent to assist Haiti in its recovery after the devastating 2010 earthquake, contaminated a branch of the Artibonite River with cholera. The river is the country's main water source for tens of thousands of Haitians. Subsequently more than 9,000 people died of the disease, and some 800,000 were sickened. Some of the victims sought compensation, suing the United Nations in U.S. District court, but the court ruled that the international organization is protected by diplomatic immunity.

The United Nations released a 16-page report on Thursday which details a two-track “new approach” to cholera in Haiti. It calls for $400 million in initial funding.