RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – To date there are now over 63,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 1,896 deaths among indigenous communities in the Amazon, according to the latest report from the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) and the Amazon Basin Church Network (REPAM).
In September alone, more than 10,000 new cases were recorded and 260 people died with or from the new virus. The Amazon region stretches across nine South American states and is home to hundreds of indigenous communities.
According to the report, most infections and deaths occur in Brazil (24,866 infections/ 667 deaths); Colombia (16,135/ 577) and Peru (14,932/ 394). They are followed by Ecuador (11,849/ 330), Bolivia (3,438/ 131), Venezuela (693/ 23), as well as Guyana (95 Covid cases), Surinam (76) and French Guiana (1 death).
According to the report, 238 indigenous peoples are affected by the pandemic in the whole area, 122 of them in Brazil, the others living in Peru (51), Bolivia (21), Colombia (11), Ecuador (10), Venezuela (10), Guyana (6), Surinam (6) and French Guiana (1).
The rate of infection and death among them is higher than average. Due to their high degree of isolation from the outside world, it is assumed that there is a low level of immune defense against the new virus. In addition, the region lacks important basic services, such as access to healthcare and clean water.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) points out that mining and infrastructure projects as well as deforestation in the Amazon region, which are often illegally conducted, raise the risk of infection, because the indigenous communities come into contact with workers and required protective measures are neglected. The presence of armed players also aggravates the situation.
In August, local UN agencies asked the international community for more solidarity with the indigenous communities of the Amazon. The CIDH called on the governments of the neighboring countries to do more to protect them. There is concern that the pandemic will cause additional severe human casualties and endanger the preservation of the indigenous peoples’ knowledge and culture.