Egregious Ommission

Put in the call to Al Gore.

The drive-by parrot media is at it again. If you read the Internet news sites and blogs, worldwide, then you already know South America is in the grips of brutal cold. The latest example ... from two weeks ago, note the delay

Peru: Record-breaking cold in the Andes

Record-breaking cold threatens children high in the Andes mountains

High in the Andes mountains of Peru, children are used to cool temperatures. Even cold.

But no one remembers anything this cold.

The most severe cold weather on record—temperatures falling to below-zero extremes—is threatening the lives of thousands of children and pregnant mothers living in very remote, very poor highland communities.

Children are at immediate risk

Several weeks of severe cold weather have already claimed the lives of 55 children under the age of five. An alarming 6,000 cases of Pneumonia have been recorded so far.

But with winter set to last at least another 10 weeks, forecasters fear the worst of the weather is yet to come.

"Thousands of children are at immediate risk from exposure, hunger, and respiratory illnesses," warns Tom Miller, Plan's International Executive Director.

An urgent need for warmth

Today's extreme weather follows an unexpected and severe January and February that destroyed most of the crops in the region. This new cold spell has effectively finished off everything.

Food insecurity remains acute as extreme frosts and heavy snow continue to hit crops. Latest assessments show agricultural losses of 134,000 acres, and another 225,000 acres affected.

Farm animals are dying, too, depriving farmers of an important source of income and nutrition. The Ministry of Agriculture is preparing temporary animal shelters and forage in order to protect the livelihood of affected populations.

Schools have been given authority to modify timetables and classes in an attempt to avoid exposing the children to the harsh weather during the coldest hours of the day. School building renovations (doors, windows, and roofs) are underway.

As the temperatures continue to drop, risk of respiratory diseases grows. Antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and cough medicines are all in short supply.

There is an urgent need for warm clothing and medicines and we are calling on other agencies and governments to get involved before it is too late.

Plan has already carried out assessments of the areas affected and begun coordinating activities with Government Ministries and communities.

The source, not the AP, not the NY Times, but Relief Web, devoted to helping worlwide. When history comes to be written, the complete cover-up by the drive-by parrot media – to say nothing of the politicians and the chattering classes - surely will be seen as the most egregious example of violation of the public trust ever.