Winter storm Coral is headed to Israel, bringing with it extreme cold and weather conditions that the country does not normally experience. In anticipation of the severe cold wave and storm conditions, ACRI approached the Minister of Welfare and officials in his ministry requesting that urgent preparations be made in advance of the storm. Attorney Hagar Shachter warned that the uncommon and harsh weather conditions put homeless people, the elderly, and low-income families at particular risk, and requested that the ministry allocate emergency budgets to municipal welfare departments to enable them to take active measures to prevent deaths due to the cold and storm.
Among other things, we requested that the Ministry of Welfare:
Increase welfare checks to locate and make contact with homeless people and direct them to shelters, to open public shelters and heated tents, and to distribute blankets and hot drinks to the homeless.
Publish notices to families and elderly people who receive State services that they can contact the authorities for heating assistance.
Publish emergency numbers for those who need help with heating, and to provide callers with equipment, such as blankets and heaters, to heat their homes.
ACRI's petition, February 19, 2025 (Heb)