A POVERTY-stricken child goes down on her hands and knees like an animal to drink water from a puddle in this shocking image which is going viral in south America and Spain.

Voluntary worker Migue Ríos started a national debate which has now crossed the borders of his native Argentina after posing the picture - taken by a local journalist - on his Facebook page.

2 This shocking picture showing a desperately thirsty child drinking from a puddle in the city of Posadas has shocked Argentina and the world Credit: Central European News

The little girl, from the indigenous Mbya Guarani community who along with other youngsters are said to beg for money during the day in the city of Posadas in north-east Argentina, quenched her thirst in the midday sun as the temperature topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Migue, who works at UNICEF Argentina and is based in Posadas, said in a message alongside the distressing photo: “While the country is on fire, this little Guarani girl hydrates herself from the ground.

“We must be doing something wrong as a society, mustn’t we?

Revealing the youngster was seen afterwards by doctors, he added: “Why did I post the photo?

“So that we finally start talking as a society about a problem which we often don’t do anything about because no-one highlights it, while those who should do something just carry on lining their pockets.”

Today local news website Misiones Online explained the story behind the photo, revealing it had been taken by one of its reporters during a heatwave in the centre of Posadas.

Sun Online has not been able to independently verify the image

2 Scenes of poverty are common place in the relatively prosperous city of Posadas Credit: Alamy

It said: “A Misiones Online journalist was driving along Mitre Avenue when he stopped at a traffic light and saw the crude scene, which regrettably often happens in the centre of Posadas.

“Youngsters from the Mbya Guarani community who are exploited from adults in their community begging for money in the city.

“The journalist, who lives in the area, is used to seeing these sorts of scenes but he got out his camera and sent the photo to colleagues to see if more could be done to help them.

The Guarani are a group of culturally related indigenous peoples of South America.

They use the Guarani language and are present in what is today Paraguay as well as the Missions province of Argentina which Posadas is in as well as southern Brazil.

The total population of Myba Guarani in Misiones is though to number around 3,000 people.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.