Yanomami health crisis 3 years later

In January 2023, the Brazilian government declared a public health emergency in Yanomami Land, the largest Indigenous territory in the country. Since then, progress has been made in both Indigenous health and protection of land, but traditional communities are still sending alerts about illegal mining.

Cooperation meets solutions

The Yanomami people have faced extreme malnutrition, diseases caused by illegal mining and a malaria epidemic, one of the biggest humanitarian crises in Brazilian history. Almost three years after the public health emergency was declared and following an emergency response plan, data shared by the Brazilian Ministry of Health demonstrated improved results: a decrease of 27.6% in deaths, an increase in health agents in the territory and the building of an Indigenous hospital.

In 2025, the 21st edition of the Free Land Camp (ATL).
Greenpeace Brazil has played an active role in the ATL, contributing to the visibility and impact of public demonstrations held during the event.

To support the Yanomami people fight illegal mining, in 2024 the Brazilian government created the "Casa de Governo Yanomami", to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the Plan for Deinterference and Coping with the Humanitarian Crisis in the Yanomami Indigenous Land in Roraima state. Since then, more than 9 thousand operations tackled illegal mining and more than R$644 million Brazilian reais (US$112 million) in losses for the illegal mining market.

These initiatives led to a joint action between public authorities and Indigenous organisations and strengthened the Indigenous associations in not only denouncing invasions but giving assistance in monitoring land operations and demanding respect for their social and cultural dynamics. This cooperation has reinforced the process of withdrawal of illegal mining, making operations of Federal Police against them more effective and legitimate, as well as reaffirming that the protection of Indigenous territories is only possible with the active participation of their peoples, the real leaders in the defence of their lives, forests and cultural existence.

First victories

New monitoring from Greenpeace Brazil of Yanomami Land showed improvements of monitored territories, with only 8.16 hectares of new areas opened for illegal gold exploitation in the period. The monitoring results revealed that miners were forced to retreat in all the Indigenous Lands that underwent operations coordinated by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples. In comparison with the first half of 2024, there was a reduction of 95.18% in Yanomami's territory and 41.53% in Munduruku territory. In Kayapó Indigenous land, despite an increase of 1.93%, there was no opening of new mining areas after the beginning of the de-intrusion in May, and in June 2025, the opening of new areas in the three territories reached zero.

In a meeting between Greenpeace Brasil and Indigenous leaderships from all three Indigenous groups to go over the results of the monitoring, Julio Ye'kwana Yanomami highlighted the positive impacts of operations and pointed to structural changes needed to contain mining.

After the intrusion, we saw the water cleaning, the children returning to the village and more security. The withdrawal [of miners] is very good, but not just take out the mining, it is necessary to create economic alternatives for neighboring cities to the territory and for the youth
-Julio Ye'kwana Yanomami

Gold: a persistent threat

The fight against mining only works with coordinated, continuous and joint action. Mining tends to reinvent itself along with the growing international demand for gold, taking advantage of logistical gaps, clandestine routes and new technologies to explore protected territories.

An overflight conducted by Greenpeace and ISA (Instituto Socioambiental) on December 5th, 2022, spotted four excavators near an illegal road recently discovered inside the Yanomami Indigenous Land, one of the most endangered indigenous lands in the country.

But the Toxic Gold report from Greenpeace Brazil shows the challenges are far from over.

Researchers discovered a decrease in forest devastation in many Indigenous Lands but an increase in others as it happened in Sararé Indigenous land, with 93% from 2023 to 2024. The report also found discrepancies in gold trade data. In 2024 alone, the price of gold rose by 44%, and many central banks declared their intent to stock up on gold reserves. Despite the initiatives in Yanomami lands, mining cannot continue to destroy lives, rivers, forests and cultures. The struggle for survival of the Yanomami people is also the struggle for the Amazon, for the climate and for the future of all.