UNITED NATIONS, United States, Oct 26, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - A cholera outbreak in Haiti is spreading fast, with the number of cases doubling to nearly 2,000 in a matter of days and at least 41 deaths, its health ministry said Tuesday.

The new outbreak, which began in early October, comes three years after the impoverished Caribbean nation -- which is also grappling with spiralling insecurity -- finally stamped out an outbreak that began in 2010 and killed more than 10,000 people.

"Up until a few days ago, the increase of cholera cases had been gradual but now we are seeing a worryingly sharp increase, so the situation has become more challenging," wrote the UN's humanitarian coordinator in Haiti, Ulrika Richardson, in a blog post published Tuesday.

"Although cholera can be deadly, it is preventable and treatable," she said, adding that "speed is of the essence" to contain the outbreak.

Richardson lauded the "immediate and decisive" UN-supported work by Haitian authorities and NGOs, who continue to face critical shortages of clean water and fuel due to gang blockades.

Between October 19 and 23, the number of suspected cases in Haiti shot up from 964 to 1,972 while fatalities have risen from 33 to 41, the Haitian health ministry said.

The vast majority of cases are found in Ouest department and the capital Port-au-Prince in particular, and the slum known as Cite Soleil.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that according to UNICEF, children under the age of 14 made up about half of the cases.

He said that fuel shortages caused by gang blockage of Haiti's main fuel import terminal are complicating the work of NGOs, interrupting deliveries of clean water which is essential for fighting cholera.

Richardson said she had visited several cholera treatment centers in the most affected neighborhoods of Haiti's capital, where she saw heartbreaking scenes, including "children who were so malnourished, it was difficult to insert a drip into their arms or legs."

Haiti's government has called on the international community for help with its worsening health and security crises.

The UN Security Council, at the request of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, is considering sending an international force to restore order.

It was a UN stabilization mission which brought cholera to the country in 2010.