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Brazil ignored fire fighting help from united nations
20 March 1998
In January, the Head of the United Nations Office for Coordination for Human Affairs (UNEP/OCHA), Mr Sakharov, suggested to the Brazilian Environment Ministry and to the Ministry for the Interior that in the light of the worsening fires a special UN team with experience of fighting fires in Indonesia should go out to Roraima in order to devise an emergency aid package. The Brazilian Government didn't reply. Two weeks ago the UN contacted the Brazilian Authorities again, but have still not received a reply.
Sarah Tyack, Forest Campaigner for Friends of the Earth International, said:
“We are appalled that the Brazilian Government appears to have ignored this UN offer of assistance. The authorities in Brazil must wake up to the fact that these fires are causing massive regional and global damage and must be tackled urgently. Friends of the Earth International is also calling on the rich nations to join with UNEP in helping to tackle these horrendous fires. How much worse will the situation get before we see firm action?”
Weeks after the Roraima state governor declared a state of emergency, only a handful of fire fighters have been deployed to tackle forest fires raging out of control. An area of rainforest and pasture land twice the size of Belgium has already been scorched and the fire is now encroaching upon a Yanomami indigenous reserve putting the lives of the Yanomami people at risk.
According to local reports, people in the forest are already losing their homes and are cut off with low water supplies. Thousands of cattle have already died and a third of the state's crops have gone up in smoke.
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jul 2008
