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 and a Reuters photographer stringer, based in Colombia. He focuses his work on social movements, environmental justice, discriminated groups, and indigenous communities. His photographs have been awarded at the Paris Photo Prize 2023, IPA, BIFA and EPA. His pictures have been published by The Guardian, Al Jazeera, El País, Mongabay News, Le Monde, CNN, BBC, DW, Earth Island, NACLA, Amnesty International, and others.

Awards Paris Photo Prize 2023 (Silver Prize in Press and Politic & State of the World Winner), International Photography Award (Honorable Mention in General News) and European Photography Award (Platinum Winner in Press)