Haiti, UN launch 145 mln USD appeal for cholera, humanitarian relief.

Haiti and the United Nations are seeking 145 million U.S. dollars for humanitarian relief, including for a cholera outbreak that has killed 161 people, a UN spokesman said on Tuesday.

Early last month, for the first time in more than three and a half years, new cholera cases were detected in the country, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"In recent days, there has been an increase in the number and geographical spread of suspected cases," Haq said. "According to figures from the Ministry of Health released last (Monday) night, there were 8,700 suspected and 800 confirmed cases. So far 161 people have died from the disease."

He said the most vulnerable people, particularly...