2020 saw 20% rise in Israelis who were found dead at home in states of decay

The Zaka emergency service says 157 Israelis were found dead in their homes, days after their deaths, in 2020, marking a 20% rise from 2019.

The organization notes, in a statement: “Most, but not all, were elderly people living alone, with no-one to care for them or check on their well-being – a situation exacerbated by the isolation and lockdowns that characterized 2020. In every case, these were people living alone who died alone. It was only when neighbors noticed the horrible stench emanating from the apartment, or water flowing from a bathroom, that someone remembered that they had not been seen in a while – and called the police.”

Zaka’s Chairman Yehuda Meshi Zahav calls the situation “shocking.”

He says: “Have we become indifferent?! It’s just shocking that this has become part of our routine. Zaka volunteers will continue to fight with all their might for those elderly, lonely and destitute people to save their lives.”