The high prices and dwindling fuel supply can be attributed to the economic sanctions placed by the West on Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine.
Prior to the conflict, 40 percent of the European Union's total gas consumption came from Russia. In response to the war and in order to reduce dependence on Russian gas, Ukraine and Poland have shut down some pipelines that bring gas from Russia to Western Europe.
Today's average gas price is 2.5 times higher than that of the period between 2000 and 2019 and almost double for electricity. As the world enters winter, the death toll is expected to rise in both Europe and the U.S., where the number of deaths is about 20 percent larger on average.
The Economist has built a statistical model to calculate the impact of high gas prices on the possible high death rate. Global Research reported: "Besides the price of energy, there are three other factors that cause the number of extra deaths: the most important is how severe the winter is, in addition to that, the severity of the flu season (which is partly determined by how cold it is) and, finally, the compensation of the governments to households for absorbing the price hikes."
According to the study, if energy prices remain at current levels, about 147,000 more people in Europe would die in a typical winter. With mild temperatures, the number will drop to 79,000. In a severely cold season, using the coldest winter for each country since 2000, the extra excess mortality rises to 185,000.
Compared to the number of military personnel on both sides who died in the war (25,000 to 30,000) plus the 6,500 Ukrainian civilians who were killed, the total is still less than the best-case scenario from the study model.
As per the Modern Diplomacy, the sanctions have backfired to the Western economies. With inflation reaching record levels not seen in decades, more people are now facing a choice of putting food on the table this winter or heating their homes.
Kyiv braces for the "worst winter ever" amid ongoing chaos and energy collapse
Ukrainians are now readying themselves for the coldest and darkest winter of their lives as energy infrastructure in the country collapses amid the ongoing war with Russia.
According to the Associated Press, Ukraine's capital, Kyiv and other major cities have deteriorated drastically following missile attacks on the power grid starting in November. Ukrenergo, the state-owned grid operator, reported that 40 percent of the people are suffering due to damage to at least 15 major energy hubs and that "thousands of kilometers of key high-voltage lines are not working" in the entire country. (Relate: Ukrainians preparing for WORST WINTER of their lives as days-long blackouts loom.)
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko also warned of a potential blackout and called for his constituents' resilience. "Worst case scenario. Actually, I don't like to talk about that, but I have to be prepared if we do not have electricity, blackout, no water, no heating, no services and no communication," he told AP.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that winter will be life-threatening for millions of people in Ukraine with temperatures expected to reach minus four degrees Fahrenheit in parts of the country in the coming months.
"Put simply, this winter will be about survival," Dr. Hans Henri Kluge, the WHO's regional director for Europe, said in a statement. "Maternity wards need incubators. Blood banks need refrigerators. Intensive care beds need ventilators. And all require energy."
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also called on his people to do all they can to conserve energy use, especially during peak hours. Back in November, he said one-fourth of the population of about 10 million people were without power.
The WHO said that in addition to the huge displacement of people within Ukraine and the movement of refugees to other countries, a further two to three million people could leave their homes in search of warmth and safety.
Visit EnergySupply.news for more news related to the dwindling power supply and skyrocketing gas prices in Europe.
Watch the video below that talks about the missile attacks' colossal damage to the Ukraine power grid.
This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.
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Zelensky accuses Russia of turning winter into a weapon of mass destruction.
Germany prepares for "emergency cash deliveries" ahead of anticipated dark winter energy blackout.
Half of France's nuclear power plants are offline as dark winter approaches.
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