President Alejandro Toledo declared a state of emergency Saturday in the Arequipa, Apurimac, Ayacucho, Cusco, Huancavelica, Moquegua, Puno and Tacna regions before flying out to visit the affected areas.

Toledo said military planes and helicopters will be used to deliver food and heavy clothing to the Andean regions.

The cold spell, with temperatures down to negative 4 degrees Fahrenheit (negative 20 degrees Celsius) and up to 3 feet (90 centimeters) of snow in some areas, began earlier this month and caught many off guard. The cold weather has triggered respiratory infections, especially among children and the elderly. Low temperatures have also frozen some 1,700 llama, alpaca, sheep and cattle, Vice President Raul Diez Canseco told reporters in Ayacucho.

Civil Defense chief Juan Podesta said extreme cold weather last struck the region eight years ago, killing thousands of livestock. He said persistent fog, snow and heavy winds have made it difficult to fully evaluate the damage this year.