At least 59 people have died in southern Peru as the El Nino weather phenomenon triggered heavy snow and the coldest temperatures in a decade, devastating rural regions.
The killer cold snap has sent temperatures in the department of Puno, high in Peru's Andes, plummeting to minus 20 Celsiusin recent days - rare temperatures even for the Southern Hemisphere winter.
"The people who died could not bear the intense cold. Most are children and old people," a spokesman for the civil defense department said.
Others normally used to bitter temperatures at altitudes of more than 13,000 feet (4,000 metres) have been treated for respiratory problems.
Civil defense officials said some 44,000 people had been affected and nearly 16,000 homes had been damaged.
The worst affected areas were also top tourist destinations - Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca near Bolivia, and Cusco, the gateway to the fabled Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.
Some parts of those departments were completely cut off, officials said.
President Alejandro Toledo flew to Puno at the weekend to oversee aid efforts. The government has declared southern Peru in a state of emergency and was helicoptering in 135 tonnes of aid including blankets, food, tents and clothing.
Weather experts say the unusual cold is a clear indication of an impending El Nino. Weather conditions across Peru have been unusual this year, with rain in Lima - a rare occurrence since Lima is located on Peru's desert Pacific coastal strip.