In 2005, most Guarani Mbyá children in Iguazu, Argentina, were
malnourished. In the following year, 20 children died from starvation
in just three months. These Indians are losing 10% of their land
annually, and cannot grow enough food.

Over the border lies one of Brazil’s wealthiest regions where
over 11,000 Guarani Indians live, squeezed into an area which
can barely support 300. Their children are dying of starvation.
Almost no other tribe has suffered such an extreme loss of
land and survived.

The forests which gave the Guarani their food are being rapidly
cleared for cattle ranches, and soya and sugar plantations. The
government’s response is to give out oil, rice and flour, but the
Indians can no longer even find the wood to cook these meagre
handouts.

Tribes who choose their own way of life on their own
land may occasionally go hungry, but malnutrition is extremely rare.
The Guarani need their land back or they will simply not survive.

Progress doesn’t have to kill. You can do something practical to help the Guarani by simply writing a letter. It really works. Write a letter now using Survival’s online letter-writing tool »