The European Bureau of the World Health Organization pointed out that “a heatwave that has swept Europe has killed more than 1,700 people in the Iberian Peninsula alone,” calling for “joint action to combat climate change.”

“Heat kills. Over the past decades, hundreds of thousands of people have died as a result of extreme heat during prolonged heatwaves, often accompanied by simultaneous forest fires,” Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said in a statement.

“This year we have already seen over 1,700 unnecessary deaths during the current heat wave in Spain and Portugal alone,” Kluge added.

The Regional Director emphasized that “heat exposure often exacerbates pre-existing health problems”, noting that “people at the end of life, whether infants, children or the elderly, are particularly at risk.”

And the World Health Organization in Europe clarified that “this number is a preliminary estimate based on reports from national authorities and that the number of deaths” has already increased and will increase in the coming days.

“The true number of heat-related deaths will not be known for several weeks,” Kluge said, adding that “this hot summer season is unlikely to end. change.”