More than 57,000 children in the Basque Country cannot cool their homes during a heat wave

With regard to the first wave of summer heat, which begins tomorrow and will last at least until 1 July, Save the Childrenhas warned that, in the Basque Country, 57,410 children and adolescents will not be able to cool their homes due to the lack of resources for their families.

According to data from the Survey of Living Conditions of the National Institute of Statistics (INE),16.5 per cent of Basque minorslive in households unable to cope with high temperatures, a situation that affects18 per centof families in the Autonomous Community.

The climate crisis expert at Save the Children, Carmela del Moral, has stressed that this extreme state of heat "is part of our new normal" and has warned that it affects "the rest, health and quality of leisure of minors", especially those living in the most precarious socio-economic conditions: "The material conditions of their homes make them particularly vulnerable to phenomena such as heat waves and energy poverty."

Single-parent families, led by women in 8 out of 10 cases, are in a particularly difficult situation. In the Basque Country, 38 per centof them cannot keep their homes fresh, more than double those headed by two adults, and above the State average (35.5 per cent).

Save the Children has also warned of the cost of installing air conditioning systems in disadvantaged areas, as well as the potential impact of high energy supply prices on low-income households.

Faced with this situation, the organization has called for urgent public policies to mitigate and adapt the climate in areas where children live and grow up. "Our proposal is to implement plans to adapt the climate of homes and buildings without affecting rent income," said Del Moral. In addition, a reform of the social bond has been proposed to facilitate access to the most vulnerable families by unifying discounts and simplifying procedures.