So far this year, Cruz Roja (Red Cross) has given financial assistance to 393 households in the Balearics so that energy bills can be paid. In all, this has amounted to 1,122 payments.
On Thursday, Ana Espinos, who is head of the extreme vulnerability section of the Red Cross in the Balearics, warned that there is increasing energy poverty, vulnerability having been worsened because of the pandemic and climate change.
The assistance given by the Red Cross is through a project subsidised by the regional ministries for social affairs and energy transition. The 1,122 payments come to 88,645 euros. In the third quarter of 2021, assistance increased by 6% compared with 2020 and by 41% compared with 2019.
Globally, the Red Cross estimates that, by 2050, 200 million people a year may need humanitarian aid as a result of a combination of climate-related disasters and the socio-economic impact of climate change.