189 thousand Holocaust survivors are living in Israel today, of whom 45 thousand are below the poverty line, according to the annual report of the Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel published in advance of Holocaust Remembrance Day.
According to the report, last year the economic situation of the survivors has been on the decline, as 30 percent of them reported that they had to give up some food items, and 25 percent gave up medications and medical care due to their financial situation.
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39 percent of the survivors reported this year that their income does not allow them to live in dignity, compared with only 31 percent last year. In addition, 67 percent said that they are upset or disturbed by their future economic situation, an increase of 7 percent compared with 2014.
Other problems raised in the report are that 27 percent of the survivors say they had been unable to heat their homes during the past winter, 73 percent suffer from health problems, 20 percent do not feel safe in their homes and 45 percent feel lonely most of the time or from time to time.
Out of 189 thousand survivors, 66 percent are women and 33 percent live alone and have to get by on their own. In the past year, the foundation took care of approximately 194 thousand inquiries from survivors.
Every day about 40 Holocaust survivors die, about 14, 200 annually.
Over the years, the state has been recognizing additional elderly as Holocaust survivors, and the Claims Conference recognize them as eligible for assistance.
