COVID-19 crisis makes electricity too costly for millions in Africa, Asia

(Reuters, 7 Jun 2021) The pandemic's economic impact left more than 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.

This threatens progress in the last decade, which saw more than a billion people gaining access to electricity since 2010, making 90% of the world's population connected in 2019.

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Reuters, 7 Jun 2021: COVID-19 crisis makes electricity too costly for millions in Africa, Asia