Emergency appeal to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among the indigenous groups of the Colombian and Brazilian Amazon

We may be recovering from the worst here in Europe but many others are just starting to confront the coronavirus crisis, now spreading rapidly through South America. In the Amazon poor public policies and inadequate health care systems mean that the indigenous people are amongst the most affected in Latin America.

The governments of these countries are not taking the immediate action needed to save the lives of many vulnerable indigenous groups in the Amazon region who have so little resistance to disease, threatening to destroy the extraordinary cultural heritage and knowledge that has been passed down from generation to generation.

The problem is of course huge. In response to this impending catastrophe, Rainforest Concern is launching an appeal to support our long-term partners working on the frontline in the Colombian and Brazilian Amazon, Gaia Amazonas and Tribes Alive.

Indigenous people are faced with two main problems in relation to the spread of coronavirus. The first is the fact that missionaries, farmers, gold prospectors and even well meaning government health officials still go into remote areas and make contact and so can introduce the disease. The other is the increasing need for all but the most remote communities to visit towns down river to obtain supplies. In so doing they can easily become infected. It is the second of these which is the focus of this campaign.

In Colombia, the priority is to provide isolation kits designed with indigenous leaders and shamans to support voluntary community isolation during the peak of the pandemic, thereby reducing the risk of infection. These kits cost around £40 and support the indigenous families way of life, avoiding the need to go into towns. They include items to provide food security and hygiene products. The type of kits will vary depending on the needs of each community but examples might include fishing nets, machetes, medicines, masks and even soap due to the pandemic.

In Brazil, our support will also focus on helping the indigenous people of the Xingu region to be self-sufficient, helping them grow and catch the food they eat, as well as providing hygiene and health supplies. At least 12 communities in the Xingu have so far been infected with the disease so they also need medical support.

Please help us with this task and forward to your friends and family.

Rainforest Concern makes no deduction from your donation for administration.

Thank you so much