Uzbekistans Winter Energy Crisis
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Kate Adie presents stories from Uzbekistan, Turkey, USA, South Africa and Sweden.
Uzbekistan is one of the largest gas producers in the world but is in the throes of a full-blown energy crisis. People are struggling to keep warm amid the country's harshest winter in decades. Ibrat Safo reveals how people have taken to cooking outdoors on open fires, as the poor gas supply means it can take an hour just to boil a pot of hot tea.
The village of Ovakent in southeast Turkey is known locally as Little Afghanistan. After the catastrophic earthquake last month, the Afghan diaspora - who arrived in Turkey after escaping war in their homeland - are once again living with displacement and uncertainty. Mahjooba Nowrouzi has been to visit the village, which is located near the epicentre of the earthquake.
In East Palestine, Ohio, the derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals has left many residents fearful of the long-term health effects. Bernd Debusmann Jr travelled to the town, where people expressed their disappointment in the response to the disaster from authorities, leaving them fearful for the future.
South Africa is continuing to battle rising inflation and unemployment, with the country's worst social unrest since the end of apartheid a recent memory. But in the picturesque vineyards that surround Cape Town, it\\u2019s easy to forget the extent of South Africa\\u2019s problems, says Charlotte Ashton as she visits the 'Stellenbosch bubble'.
In Sweden\\u2019s far north, near the Norwegian border, where the northern lights frequently light up the winter night sky, Matilda Welin embarked on a journey off the beaten track. She recounts an increasingly rare experience \\u2013 of unlimited access to the natural world.
Series producer: Serena Tarling\\nProducer: Louise HIdalgo\\nProduction coordinator: Helena Warwick-Cross
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