Peru: Aid and Rescue for Flood Victims in Cusco · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

The situation in Cusco, Peru remains difficult because the rains have not ceased. However, that is not the only problem the region faces. Amid allegations and rumors [es] that tourists [es] were charged money in order to be rescued, which is something that the authorities have denied [es], the Chilean government sent a Hercules aircraft [es] on January 21 to pick up Chilean citizens. There are photos of those rescued here.
A flooded street in Huacarpay photo by Zenobio Valencia and used with permission.
Other reports have surfaced in regards to rising food prices [es] in the area of Aguas Calientes, the gateway town to Machu Picchu. The Attorney General ordered an investigation [es] to verify and act if it finds price speculation in the restaurants and stores.
As expected, the news soon appeared about the complaints about a lack of transparency [es] in the distribution of aid to victims. Many are hoping that the government addresses this issue.
In addition, there are concerns about the tourists who were hiking the Inca Trail and in the Sacred Valley, when the landslides started. It is estimated that at the time, there were about 1,500 tourists in the area [es], but to date it is not known whether all are safe. The total number of tourists in and around Machu Picchu was estimated to be 2,000.
Twitterers have been posting information on what has been happening in and around Cusco. Some of the tweets show the two sides of humanity:
@harrygonzales:
Sigue llegando el agua para ayudar a nuestros hermanos en la plaza de Armas #cusco http://tweetphoto.com/9723290
@harrygonzales:
Los damnificados de Pisonay están en el centro recreacional de Calca http://tweetphoto.com/9742996 #Cusco
Lynn Mora @lynnmora:
En Cusco los scouts fueron enviados a las zonas de desastre para apoyar a damnificados.
@elcaminerito
Nos avisan que existen ladrones que están saqueando en Huacarpay y Pisac,por favor los voluntarios vayan identificados, para evitar problemas
Marco Moscoso has been regularly posting photos to his Twitpic account, and he has been one of the driving forces behind the interactive map that shows the emergency areas [es]:
In this post, the blog Cambiando el Mundo [es/en] (Changing the World), one can find a list (in English) of the needs for donated goods for the people of Huacarpay, a community that was drastically affected by the floods.
There is also a Facebook group to collect help for Cusco: A United Cusco Against the Misfortune!! [es]