Delhi is in the grip of a merciless heatwave that has pushed temperatures past 45 degrees Celsius, killing the city’s most vulnerable residents. British aid agencies are calling for urgent intervention as the death toll mounts among the homeless, slum dwellers and daily wage labourers who cannot afford to escape the heat.
For the working poor of India’s capital, the heat is not an inconvenience, it is a killer. Many live in cramped tin shanties with no electricity or running water. They work as rickshaw pullers, construction labourers and street vendors. When the sun reaches 45C, their bodies give out. Heatstroke, dehydration and organ failure are now claiming dozens of lives each day. The city’s hospitals are overwhelmed. Mortuaries are full.
British charities including Oxfam, Christian Aid and the British Red Cross have issued a joint statement warning that the crisis is being made worse by inequality. “The rich stay in air conditioned offices and homes. The poor have nowhere to go,” said a spokesperson. They are demanding that the Indian government open more cooling centres, provide free water and suspend work for outdoor labourers during peak hours. But with the monsoon still weeks away, the immediate future looks bleak.
This is not just a weather event. It is a stark reminder of how climate change hits the poorest hardest. Delhi’s heatwave is part of a pattern seen across South Asia this year. April was the hottest on record for many parts of India and Pakistan. The global rise in temperatures means such extremes are now more frequent and more lethal. But while world leaders talk about net zero, the bodies pile up on the streets of Delhi.
The British government has so far pledged £1.5 million in emergency aid, but charities say this is a drop in the ocean. They are calling for a long term strategy to help cities adapt, including tree planting, better building regulations and social protection schemes for informal workers. Without that, every summer will bring a new death toll.
For now, aid workers are doing what they can. They are distributing water, oral rehydration salts and setting up temporary shelters. But they admit it is not enough. “We are running a race against death,” one worker said. “And we are losing.”
