Peru Cold Snap Kills at Least 38 Andean Children

[senorpepr]

LIMA, Peru (Reuters) - Extreme cold in Peru's high Andes has killed at least 38 children since the end of June as temperatures have plunged as low as minus 13 Fahrenheit (minus 25 C), government and U.N. officials said on Monday.

Foreign Minister Manuel Rodriguez Cuadros told Reuters he had information about 38 to 40 deaths while Martin Santiago, U.N. coordinator in Peru, said he had heard of up to 42 children dead in the worst-hit areas of southern Peru.

Even though it is the Southern Hemisphere's winter, the temperatures have been as much as five times lower than normal. The conditions have been caused by a cold front over the Pacific Ocean that has sparked intense snowfall when it meets an area of humidity, meteorologists said.

Rodriguez Cuadros said the United Nations (news - web sites) would provide $750,000 in food, medicine, clothes and blankets for stricken areas, where snow is up to 2-1/2 feet (80 cm) deep.

Last week alone, 13 children died of pneumonia in the high mountain areas at an altitude of more than 13,123 feet, according to the Health Ministry.

Rodriguez Cuadros said 168,000 people in rural areas -- where conditions are brutally hard and subsistence agriculture is the only way of life -- had been "seriously affected" by the adverse conditions and 180,000 animals had been lost. More than another million animals could yet die, he added.

President Alejandro Toledo on Friday declared a 60-day state of emergency and handed over tons of food and medicines for the southern departments of Arequipa, Cuzco, Puno, Huancavelica and Moquegua. The government has allocated $15 million in aid for the affected areas.

"Between 38 and 40 children have died since the cold snap began about two weeks ago. It's a high figure but the action that we're taking now will reduce the possibility of more deaths," Rodriguez Cuadros said.

Three other departments -- Apurimac, Ayacucho and Tacna -- have also been severely affected and there have been some deaths because of the cold there, government officials said.

At least 23 people have died in Puno, near the border with Bolivia, the worst hit area, according to civil defense officials.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... er_peru_dc

[senorpepr]

Update... toll raises to 46...

LIMA (AFP) - At least 46 children died as extreme cold blanketed more than half of Peru, hitting 158,000 persons, Foreign Minister Manuel Rodriguez said as he announced 745,000 dollars in UN aid.

The cold wave, which came in June, has affected much of Peru's Andes mountains, where people live above 4,000 meters (13,000 feet), where temperatures have reached minus 25 C (minus 13 F).

Children have largely succumbed to pneumonia. Cold has also killed 300,000 hectares (741,000 hectares) of crops and 105,000 farm animals.

Rodriguez said the United Nations had released 25,000 dollars immediately and 100,000 dollars later. World Food Program aid will total 200,000 and the UN Development Program 50,000, while the children's agency UNICEF is looking to finance 370,000 dollars.

Many of the affected areas have also suffered drought.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... weather_un

[Aquawind]

Wow..bummer..

[Anonymous]

interesting story. Thanks for the link !

ken

[Wnghs2007]

Poor kids. Man it seems like they would have atleast some defense. But that is just truley terrible.