AMERICA/BRAZIL - Report of CIMI: suicide and infant mortality are decimating the indigenous population

Tuesday, 23 June 2015

Brasilia (Agenzia Fides) - There was a serious increase of violence and violations committed against indigenous peoples in Brazil in 2014, in particular we are talking about cases of murder, suicide, people who died due to lack of health care, infant mortality, invasions of territories, illegal exploitation of natural resources, omissions and delays in the regularization of indigenous lands. This is the dramatic result of the detailed report "Violence against indigenous peoples in Brazil - data 2014", which the Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI) presented on June 19, at the headquarters of the Brazilian Bishops' Conference (CNBB), in Brasilia, of which a copy was sent to Fides.
According to information provided by the Secretariat of Indigenous Health (SESAI), which operates within the Ministry of Health, 135 Indians killed themselves in 2014, the highest number in 29 years, according to the records of CIMI. Mato Grosso do Sul is the state with the highest number of suicides: 48 in 2014, for a total of 707 cases registered in this state between 2000 and 2014. The number of cases registered in the Indigenous Health District (DSEI) Alto Rio Solimões, located in the Amazon is also worrying, where there are people of Tikuna, Kokama and Caixana.
Also according to information of Sesai, 138 natives were killed in 2014, 97 cases had been reported the previous year. Another shocking data of the report refers to infant mortality. The data indicate a total of 785 deaths of children between 0 and 5 years of age. In 2013 the report of CIMI had recorded the deaths of 693 children across the country. The population of the Xavante (in Mato Grosso) had the largest number of children who died in 2014, a total of 116.
"We are facing a very serious situation", said the anthropological assistant of Cimi and coordinator of the report, Lucia Helena Rangel. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 23/06/2015)


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