Thursday, November 11, 2010

Hurricane Worsens Change of Cholera Outbreak in Port-au-Prince

“The cholera outbreak in Haiti — the first in 50 years — has layered fresh anxiety atop long-standing misery.” The disease has already sickened more than 8,000 people and killed more than 550, and has reached the capital city of Port-au-Prince.

A recent Hurricane brought fresh worries that there would be a more serious outbreak of Cholera in the capital city because of the lack of sanitation and fresh clean water. Though aid workers are trying to isolate and treat any new cases, their efforts may not be enough.

“More than 1.3 million Haitians were left homeless by the quake, and more than 1.3 million remain homeless today.” Only a fraction of quake rubble has been cleared, and restoration has barely begun, if at all. Now a Hurricane that brushed by the island, has threatened what stability there is. Many of the hundreds of thousands of people who are now living in camps are still quite vulnerable to disease.

“Thanks to the immense foreign intervention, some things have improved this year, like many displaced Haitians’ access to clean water and medicine. That has undoubtedly helped prevent far wider sickness and death in the cholera outbreak. Unless the rebuilding begins in earnest, even that good news may prove transitory.” For now, the Cholera outbreak marches on.

The compounding disasters in Haiti may well be an illustration of what will happen in many parts of the world as the judgments of God are meted out on a rebellious planet just before, and after the close of human probation.

“Troublous times are before us. The judgments of God are abroad in the land. Calamities follow one another in rapid succession. Soon God is to rise out of His place to shake terribly the earth, and to punish the inhabitants for their iniquity. Then He will stand up in behalf of His people, and will give them His protecting care. He will throw His everlasting arms around them to shield them from all harm.” Selected Messages, Vol 2, p 391

While appearing to the children of men as a great physician who can heal all their maladies, [Satan] will bring disease and disaster, until populous cities are reduced to ruin and desolation. Even now he is at work… [I]n every place and in a thousand forms, Satan is exercising his power… He imparts to the air a deadly taint, and thousands perish by the pestilence. These visitations are to become more and more frequent and disastrous. Destruction will be upon both man and beast.” Great Controversy, p 589-590.



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