Yanomami Indigenous Land continues to be threatened by illegal mining

Humanitarian crisis

Children with malnutrition were recently helped in an operation by the Ministry of Health

Almost a year after the federal government put into practice a series of emergency actions to deal with the humanitarian crisis that hit the Yanomami Indigenous Land, the Ministry of Health revealed, this Thursday (11), that there are still places in the region where mining does not allow health professionals to act “with the necessary safety”.

The ministerial statement is contained in a note that the department released in response to news published yesterday (10), about the recent aid provided to malnourished Yanomami children.

“Regarding the images released by press vehicles, it is a rescue of three children in a situation of malnutrition carried out by professionals from the Ministry of Health in a community on the border with Venezuela, in a high-risk operation due to the presence of miners ”, informed the ministry, adding that, due to the lack of security, the action had to be carried out quickly.

“This is one of the places where mining does not allow the necessary security for the entry of health professionals”, added the ministry, highlighting that, despite this, the actions that the federal government implemented in the region during the year 2023 have already allowed six base centers that were closed due to “criminal actions” were reopened, allowing 307 children diagnosed with severe or moderate malnutrition to be cared for and recover.

Emergencies

On the 20th, it will be one year since the ministry declared a Public Health Emergency of National Importance with the aim of reestablishing health services and helping some of the approximately 30,400 Yanomami who live spread across the largest indigenous land in Brazil – with Around 9.6 million hectares, the reserve covers part of the territory of Roraima and Amazonas. Each hectare approximately corresponds to the measurements of an official football field.

Approved in 1992, the exclusive Yanomami territory continues to suffer from the illegal actions of miners and loggers whose activities destroy the environment and encourage the spread of diseases among indigenous people. A situation that, at the beginning of last year, culminated in the commotion caused by the images of malnourished Yanomami children and adults and the information that hundreds of indigenous children died, within the reserve, due to malnutrition and other preventable causes.

In response, in addition to declaring a Public Health Emergency, the federal government established a National Coordination Committee to Combat Health Lack of Assistance and ordered the suspension of authorizations to enter indigenous land. The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) intensified air control in the region, limiting the flight area, while environmental agencies and public security forces launched joint actions to combat mining and logging.

In the balance released today, the Ministry of Health states that it increased the number of professionals working in the Yanomami territory from 690 to 960, including the hiring of 22 nutritionists, and carried out more than 140 thousand tests to detect malaria. The ministry also ensures that it has invested more than R$220 million to restructure access to health for indigenous people in the region – a value that it claims is 122% higher than that invested in 2022 – and, with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef ), distributed around 5 tons of nutritional formulas to local communities.

This Wednesday (10), a group of ministers and representatives from various federal agencies were in the Yanomami Indigenous Land in order to inspect the situation. The visit takes place one day after the Palácio do Planalto announced that, this year, it intends to invest R$1.2 billion in Yanomami territory. The federal proposal is to permanently establish a Government House in the region and concentrate the permanent work of federal bodies on security and access to public policies for indigenous people.

*With information from Agência Brasil

Read more:

Federal government will reinforce protection measures for the Yanomami people

PF investigates diversion of medicines destined for the Yanomami

The largest indigenous land in Brazil, Yanomami has 27,152 people