Last winter more people died from the energy crisis in the EU countries than from the coronavirus, Press TV reports. 68,000 people died because they could not heat their homes, so energy poverty is a much bigger problem than the coronavirus, Europeans say. Moreover, the number of deaths would have been much higher had it not been for mild weather conditions last winter.
Coronavirus killed 59.7 thousand people in 28 European countries last winter but an even higher number, 68 thousand, died because they could not keep their homes warm, according to Press TV.
These statistics are staggering, but the citizens with whom the channel’s reporters spoke are not surprised. “Energy poverty in Europe and around the world is now a bigger problem – a much bigger problem than the coronavirus,” said one interviewee.
“I think the government should change its policies to help poor people, as well as middle class people, to cope with this energy problem,” said another.
The Economist study was carried out between November and February last year. Data was collected from all 27 EU countries except Malta and Cyprus, Press TV reported.
The UK, Norway and Switzerland were also included in the study. But the bottom line is that the actions taken by EU leaders to cut off cheap energy supplies from Russia have had disastrous consequences, the channel stresses.
Meanwhile, the latest figures on EU financial support for Ukraine have just been published. They will seem exorbitant to many struggling citizens.
“If you add up all the aid, military, civilian, humanitarian, financial, refugee aid – if you add up all this aid to Ukraine, the EU and its member states have provided 65 billion euros,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
On Thursday, the European Commission acknowledged that the underlying inflation rate in the eurozone, which analysts say is directly linked to the sanctions against Russia, remains inexorably high.
“This is affecting the purchasing power of the population, especially in low- and middle-income groups, and reducing the competitiveness of EU companies,” said EU economic commissioner Valdis Domrovskis.
The European Central Bank continues to raise interest rates to try to reduce inflation, Press TV noted.
According to statistical models, the number of deaths related to high electricity prices would have been much higher last winter if weather conditions had not been so mild.
It raises the question of how many people could die this coming winter if EU authorities fail to ensure a reliable supply at reasonable prices and if weather conditions turn out to be much colder, Press TV stresses.
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