Israelis face 'difficult winter,' study shows

Ten percent of Israelis will not have enough blankets or other ways to keep themselves and their families warm this winter.

By DANIELLE ZIRI
snowy cabin in Golan_390 (photo credit: Shefi Mor)
snowy cabin in Golan_390
(photo credit: Shefi Mor)
Ten percent of Israelis will not have enough blankets or other similar products to keep themselves and their families warm this winter, according to a survey released by the NGO Chasdei Naomi on Monday.
This number is also broken down to regions of the country and shows that a higher percentage of people living in the North will be suffering from this shortage than those living in southern areas.
The report, which is summarized as painting a “difficult winter” ahead, showed that the recent economic situation has made it very difficult for 71% of citizens to afford the heavy costs of energy and electricity, which are needed to heat up their homes in winter.
In addition, 56% noted that they will have to cut down 20 to 30% of their bills for home heating this winter. Ten percent of them said they will reduce this cost by at least half.
Almost 80% of those who will be saving on heating are aged 55 to 64.
The survey, which was conducted amongst a national sample of 509 respondents aged 18 or above, also indicated that 6% of the population will have no choice but turn to charitable organizations to receive home heating products or children’s winter clothing. For 4% of them, this will be the first winter during which they will have to ask for help.
“The economic situation of tens of thousands of families in Israel only worsened in the past year,” Joseph Cohen, chairman of Chasdei Naomi explained.
“It reached an absurd situation,” he continued, “I am very concerned that if the State of Israel does not help these families, it will only get more severe.”
The organization Chasdei Naomi, which mainly provides food for families affected by poverty, announced that following the results of the survey, the NGO will increase the amount of blankets, stoves and winter coats it will distribute to the needy this year by 15% in comparison to last year.
The goods will be given out to some 5,000 families this winter.
This study joins the alarming poverty report published by the organization Latet on Monday morning, which showed that 95% of Israelis who receive aid from NGOs were forced to forgo some essential basic needs in 2012 because they were not able to afford them.
In addition, 10% of the children of these needy families have also begged in the streets for money over the past year due to difficult economic situations at home and overall, 27% of children in Israel have experienced full days without food this year.