Brazil's severe humanitarian crisis at country's largest Indigenous reserve

Malaria, malnutrition, medical disasters, polluted water, lack of security. All of this has been experienced by the Yanomami tribal people in Brazil in recent years, but only now are the people receiving the help they need.

The situation is so serious that the Ministry of Health recently formed by the Lula government has declared a state of emergency in the country's largest indigenous reserve between the states of Roraima and Amazonas. Over 28,000 Yanomami live there.

Between 2018 and 2021, mining activity in this indigenous territory increased at an alarming rate. According to a report by the Yanomami tribe quoted on the 'Uol' website, the area used has increased from 1,200 to 3,272 hectares.

As a result, the water was contaminated with mercury, medical facilities in the raided areas were burned down by the miners or closed due to lack of security. As a result, many Yanomami died or contracted preventable diseases because medical care was difficult to access or non-existent.

According to the recently created Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, headed by indigenous leader Sonia Guajajara (centre), 570 Yanomami children have died in the past four years, and the number of unreported cases may be higher.

The Ministry of Health reports that after a brief analysis of the situation, "cases of malnutrition and food insecurity have been identified, particularly among the more than 5 thousand children in the region."

Therefore, the government has already dispatched an emergency response force to the Yanomami area to provide the population with food and medical professionals.

In addition to cases of malnutrition and respiratory diseases, more than 11,000 cases of malaria were registered among the Yanomami in 2022, according to a survey by the newspaper 'Folha de Sao Paulo'.

Pleas for help and accusations that the Bolsonaro government neglected the Yanomami and stood up for the miners were numerous during the former president's tenure.

The UN has drawn the attention of "different Brazilian authorities at different times" to this crisis, according to a statement by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Michelle Bachelet, who was at the helm of the organization at the time, even met with the Yanomami leadership in 2021.

However, the Yanomami's suffering continued as they were not listened to. The website 'The Intercept Brasil' had access to documents that the Hutukara Yanomami Association had sent to the Funai (National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples), the Ministry of State and the army back in 2021.

They warned of the risk of conflicts between miners and Yanomami that could reach "genocidal proportions". According to 'The Intercept Brasil', a total of 21 requests for help were made by the Hutukara Yanomami Association. Yet, nothing was done.

On January 21, President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva and several of his ministers traveled to Roraima to see the situation on the ground in Roraima.

(In the photo, indigenous peoples celebrate the inauguration of Sonia Guajajara as Minister for Indigenous Peoples)

"If someone told me that the Yanomami people are being treated in such an inhuman way, I wouldn't believe it," Lula said in his statement.

In addition to the immediate measures to support the Yanomami, the President also announced, "It is important that people know that this country has a new government that will be tough on illegal mining."

In the document sent to the commander of the Federal Police, Minister Flávio Dino cites "repeated requests for help against the violence resulting from illegal mining and the lack of effective measures and health services for the Yanomami."