"The United Nations has come under heavy political fire for its decision to deny compensation for thousands of victims of cholera in Haiti -- a deadly disease spread by U.N. peacekeepers in the troubled Caribbean nation," Inter Press Service reports (Deen, 2/22). "More than 8,000 Haitians have died from the epidemic and 500,000 people, some five percent of the population, have fallen sick since the disease entered the impoverished Caribbean nation's water system in October 2010," the Independent notes, adding, "The claims were filed on behalf of 5,000 victims in 2011 by the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, a Boston-based human rights group" (Popham, 2/23). "On Thursday, U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters that the representatives of cholera victims have been advised that their 'claims are not receivable pursuant to Section 29 of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities,'" IPS writes (2/22).