Nearly 100,000 people have had to flee their homes following heavy flooding in some of Brazil's most populous regions. At least 30 people have died and millions of pounds worth of damage has been caused after six days of heavy rainfall.
The torrential downpour is being blamed on the weather phenomenon known as La Nina, which forecasters say will continue to affect the region for several months. In the worst-hit states of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais, 70 per cent of some towns is submerged in water.
President Fernando Henrique Cardoso has already promised an aid package of £1.6 million to help the homeless. On a visit to the worst-hit regions, he said: "I want to give solidarity to the people affected by the flooding. We will support them all through this difficult time.
"We have already granted an initial aid package for food, clothes, medicine. More money will follow for wider rebuilding."
The floods and mudslides have swept away many homes and bridges, and looting is now widespread. Telephone lines and roads have also been destroyed, causing access problems for emergency workers.
In the wealthy state of Minas Gerais, over 70,000 people have already been made homeless, including a large number of middleclass families. River banks have burst and entire towns are virtually submerged in water, their inhabitants forced to take canoe rides towards shelter on higher ground.
Mr Antonio Carlos Antunes (48), a builder, described how his wife died in the flooding. Standing amidst the rubble of his house, he said: "I heard a great noise and the house started trembling. I jumped out of the kitchen window but my wife was sleeping in one of the other rooms. The whole hill plunged over our house. I had no time to help my wife and now she is dead. I blame myself."
Nine municipalities have been completely cut off from the outside world because of the rain, and inadequate food and fresh water are causing serious problems. Medicine is also in short supply.
In Rio de Janeiro state, thousands of slum-dwellers have been made homeless after mudslides destroyed their precariously-built wooden shacks. With many power lines destroyed, the local authorities estimate that at least £6 million is needed for rebuilding.
The Brazilian government reduced its flood prevention budget by nearly £10 million to £5 million last year. However, these floods are less severe than those which hit neighbouring Venezuela last month, where tens of thousands died and entire cities were destroyed.