The worst fires in history have destroyed over 13,000 square miles of forest.    Gardens burned, streams evaporated and game animals fled.  With the dense undergrowth consumed the communities are vulnerable to new invasion by gold miners.    

   more information below...  
  

The  Yanomami troubles are not over - they've barely began. 

The boundary demarcating their land is gone along with the thick underbrush that repelled any invader without an airplane.    

Selected details from United Nations report, 6 April, 1998: 

Estimated figures indicate that a total of 12,000 people (comprising indigenous people and farmers) have been affected by drought and fires, of which approximately 7,000 are in very serious situation (lacking water and food).  

REQUIREMENTS  

Seeds - Approximately 400 tons of maize, 600 tons of rice, 40 tons of beans and 50 tons of vegetable seeds. Of these quantities, 40 tons of maize, 11 tons of rice and 18,500 tons of beans have been requested by the Indigenous Council of Roraima to assist the most affected indigenous people in several regions of the State.*  

Tools - Different tools, including machetes, shovels, pickaxes, fishing-lines and fishing-hooks.  

Wells - Approximately 72 wells should be urgently open to meet basic needs in water supply.*  

Short / medium term needs  

Housing - 104 units for 624 people.  

Environmental priorities 

• An environmental assessment to evaluate the damage on the different Biomes and their natural resources caused by the fire and serious drought. 

• The acquisition of permanent NOAA AVITAR antennae for receiving local data for fire monitoring.  

• Enforcement of fire bans and renewal of fire licenses.  

 
* Detailed information on the above mentioned needs is available upon request at the UNDP Office in Brasilia.  

latest reports 
 

Below are our suggestions for action and  links to more reports about the fires and their aftermath. For more information and to find out how you can help, please contact us today at (212) 253.9502 or at the address below. 

     

What You Can Do    1.  Give a tax-deductible contribution  Aid will forwarded to the Yanomami in Brazil.  Please add a note to earmark your contribution to the Yanomami campaign.  2.    Contact the President of Brazil   Urge him to take steps to respond to the indigenous peoples needs and to implement the U.N. OCHA report recommendations.   Ilmo. Sr. Fernando Henrique Cardoso   Presidente da República  Palácio do Planalto  Brasilía - DF - 70.160.900 Brasil   Fax - 55-61-226 7566  email - pr@cr-df.rnp.br  Please copy:  Amanaka'a Amazon Network - urgent@amanakaa.org  3. Tell Your Friends about the Action   Urge them to donate and to contact President Cardoso also.       Amanaka'a Amazon Network  60 East 13th Street, 5th floor - New York, NY 10003  Tel: 212.253.9502 Fax: 212.253.9507