Thursday
June 10
2021

COVID-19 Crisis Makes Electricity Too Costly for Millions in Africa and Asia

The pandemic’s economic impact left at least 25 million people unable to pay for power in 2020, mainly in Africa, threatening progress towards access for all.

The economic toll from the Covid-19 pandemic has left more than 25 million people in Africa and Asia unable to afford electricity, threatening a global goal to provide power to everyone by 2030, international agencies warned on Monday.

Two-thirds of those affected were in sub-Saharan Africa, deepening disparities in the region’s access to electricity, according to an annual global report tracking progress on sustainable energy.

Millions struggled to pay for essential electricity services to power lighting, fans, televisions and mobile phones as the Covid-19 crisis hit jobs and incomes in 2020, the report said.

Photo courtesy of Karsten Würth.

Source: Eco-Business (link opens in a new window)

Categories
Coronavirus, Energy
Tags
energy access, SDGs