Egypt's Cost-of-Living Crisis Means Extra Suffering During Intense Heat Wave

Cairo's dry desert climate and dense urban sprawl make the megacity especially vulnerable to extreme heat and air pollution, a dangerous or deadly combination for its people. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)

Walid (left), 33, a cooling technician, says, air conditioners "are becoming an essential item for more and more homes. Some people buy [AC units] before furniture.” (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)

Thousands of trees and green spaces that protect life from carbon emissions and serve as natural cooling systems have been razed for new roads, bridges, and other costly national development projects across Cairo. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)

As part of an Egyptian tradition, Sharbat, 20, keeps this bowl full of water for wild birds during the peak summer months in the belief that the gesture of kindness will bring good luck to her home in Cairo. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)

House fires like this one are common during the summer in crowded Cairo neighborhoods with densely constructed apartment blocks that trap heat and keep temperatures elevated all day and night. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)

Farawla, 15, lives without air conditioning and often suffers from summer heat rashes as related illnesses — heat stroke, heat exhaustion, dehydration, and the worsening of existing medical conditions — overwhelm her community in the Egyptian capital. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)

Young workers and their horse seek relief from the 104 degrees Fahrenheit heat in the polluted but easily accessible Mariouteya canal, near Cairo. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)

Ramadan, 65, a fan repair technician, says his business volume this summer is "the highest I've ever seen since I started this job 20 years ago. Many are opting to fix their old fans," instead of buying new ones during this time when Egyptians are dealing with a steep rise in the cost of living. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA) 

Families and friends spend their free time in outdoor public spaces to save money on their basic utility bills at home amid Egypt's cost-of-living crisis and extreme heat in Cairo. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)

This family gets by with a phone light during the regular power outages that the Egyptian government blames on soaring electric power consumption driven by the latest heat waves. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)