Dear Editor,
We note with deep concern reports of severely malnourished indigenous Warau children at Anabisi, a community in the Port Kaituma area of the North West region of Guyana.
We are aware of credible reports that one severely malnourished child died and that at least three other children were taken to Port Kaituma hospital with one being subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Persons on the ground during the first visits on November 16th and 17th indicated that they saw 20 children appearing to be malnourished.
The situation of indigenous Warau peoples crossing into Guyana from Venezuela is one that has not received adequate attention. It is well known that indigenous and first peoples all over the world are poorer and have less access – and in some cases no access – to adequate food and shelter and basic social services.
What is also of concern is the Guyana Chronicle report of November 21, which seems to suggest that the severe malnutrition of Indigenous Warau children at Anabisi and the death of one and hospitalization of others has not occurred. Public health authorities and agencies are duty bound to accurately record and inform the public about public health situations.
Credible reports have indicated that Indigenous Warau people crossed over from Venezuela as far back as November of last year. Although numbers may have since increased or decreased it is most likely not accurate to say that they have only recently arrived as a group.
We thank child advocacy agency Blossom Inc. for their professional and effective response to this matter. Were it not for their intervention, the situation could have resulted in far worse outcomes. We note also the responses to the situation by the Prime Minister’s Office and welcome the subsequent responses from the Ministries of Human Services and Social Security, Health and others.
We call for State, Non-State and all international agencies in Guyana to ensure that all migrants and refugees are given timely and equal access to support services, including adequate and nutritious food, safe drinking water and shelter and that special measures are put in place to ensure a repeat of such a situation does not occur.
We also call for a multi-sectoral open and transparent national consultation on migration and refugees.
Yours truly,
Danuta Radzik
Vidyaratha Kissoon
Vanda Radzik
Josephine Whitehead
Jocelyn Dow
Immaculata Casimero
Karen de Souza
Joy Marcus
Wintress White
Joy Marcus
Susan Collymore
Vanessa Ross
Janette Bulkan
Suraiya Ismail, Public Health
Nutritionist
Colin Klautky, Guyanese
Organization of Indigenous
Peoples, GOIP
Marie Anne Cholmondeley
