reduced the number of agents involved in removal operations to a mere 14, and the political will to confront the qarimpeiros seemes generally lacking. 7. Indeed, garimpeiro activity seems to have increased. Two federal prosecutors who travelled widely in Yanomami territory at the end of June encountered many indications that aggressive mining practices had resumed throughout the area. The prosecutors have stated, accordingly, that they expect a "substantial increase" of mining activities in September when the rains end. They have also reported on the continued health problems of the Yanomami and, in particular, that malaria, whooping cough and tuberculosis are now also affecting Yanomami in the Boa Vista area. E/CN.4/Sub-2/1990/NGO/17 paqe 3 8. President Collor has promised enerqetic measures to expel the qarimpeiros, but no action has yet been taken. Nor has his administration moved to annul the "reserves". In sum, the miners are still on indiqenous lands in qreat numbers and the Government is doinq little or nothinq to remove them or to keep them out. So lonq as the "reserves" continue, it will be impossible to remove the miners permanently. Grave health situation 9. Data qathered by the medical teams finally allowed by the Government to enter Yanomami territory early in 1990 underscore the lethal nature of the influx of the qarimpeiros. Rates of malaria infection, for example, ranqe from 74-91 per cent in villaqes close to centres of qarimpeiro activity, in contrast to a 3 per cent rate in a relatively isolated community. 10. Moreover, to date, the development of adequate medical programmes to address the critical health needs of the Yanomami has been held hostaqe to the bureaucratic paralysis which has characterized much of the Government's response to the unfolding tragedy of the Yanomami. Thus, Health 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the impact of garimpeiro (wildcat mining) activities on the Yanomami indigenous people, including the health problems they face and the lack of government action to remove the miners from their lands. The focus is on the human cost of the situation, rather than economic or environmental benefits. The text also touches on the government's response, or lack thereof, which is characterized as bureaucratic paralysis.

**Category**
Health, Humanitarian aid and relief