Dying of Hunger and Thirst in La Guajira

• Photographer
  Antonio Cascio, Colombia
• Category
  Americas
• Studio
  Published by The Guardian
• Instagram
  antonio.photografree

La Guajira, in the north of Colombia, is witnessing an humanitarian crisis with an high number of child deaths from malnutrition among the Wayuu indigenous communities. Historically abandoned by institutions, inhabitants live in an extremely poor condition. The lack of water in this desertic region, intensified by the El Niño phenomenon, makes the Wayuu existence even more challenging. In addition, the difficulty of accessing the health system increases the chance of dying from diseases, especially for minors. In 2023, 70 children died due to acute malnutrition in La Guajira.

Antonio Cascio is an Italian freelance photojournalist based in Colombia. He works as a photographer stringer for Reuters News Agency and frequently contributes to The Guardian, alongside his journalist and life partner, Natalia Torres Garzón. He focuses his work on environmental justice, marginalised groups and indigenous communities. His photographs have been awarded at the Paris Photo Prize 2023-2024, IPA, BIFA, and EPA. His pictures have been published by The Guardian, Al Jazeera, El País, Mongabay News, Bloomberg, Earth Island, NACLA, Le Monde, CNN, BBC, Amnesty International, and others.

Awards "STATE OF THE WORLD AWARD 2024 AT THE PX3, CURATORIAL SELECTION"

"STATE OF THE WORLD AWARD 2023 AT THE PX3, CURATORIAL SELECTION"

"SILVER PRIZE AT THE PX3 2023, CATEGORY: PRESS / GENERAL NEWS"

"SILVER PRIZE AT THE PX3 2023, CATEGORY: PRESS / POLITICAL"

"HONORABLE MENTION AT IPA 2023 EDITORIAL / PRESS / GENERAL NEWS"

"HONORABLE MENTION AT IPA 2023 EDITORIAL / PRESS / POLITICAL"

"PLATINUM WINNER AT THE EPA 2023, CATEGORY: EDITORIAL / GENERAL NEWS"