UNICEF’s new report reveals that nearly 242 million children globally missed school due to extreme weather last year, particularly in low-income and vulnerable nations. Heatwaves were the leading climate hazard, with significant disruptions also reported in southern Europe. The report stresses the urgent need for educational systems to adapt to ongoing climate crises affecting children’s education.
According to a new report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), around 242 million children across 85 nations experienced disruptions in their education last year due to extreme weather events such as heatwaves, cyclones, and flooding. This staggering figure represents one in seven school-aged children globally who were affected at some point during the year. Particularly vulnerable were low-income countries in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where numerous schools were destroyed due to weather-related incidents.
In southern Europe, particularly Italy and Spain, severe rainfall and flooding also caused significant educational disruptions. In Italy alone, over 900,000 children were affected by torrential rains at the year’s end, while thousands faced school closures in Spain due to catastrophic flooding. Despite the global nature of these challenges, the predominance of heatwaves was noted as the primary climate-related hazard impacting school operations last year, coinciding with record-high global temperatures.
In April, an alarming 118 million children faced interruptions in their schooling due to an extensive heatwave spanning from Gaza to the Philippines, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell emphasized that children are particularly susceptible to weather-related crises, as their bodies respond differently to heat and they may struggle to attend school when paths are flooded or institutions are compromised by environmental factors.
The report highlighted that 74% of the affected children reside in middle- and low-income countries, underscoring the severe effects of climate extremes on the world’s most vulnerable populations. In Pakistan, flooding in April damaged over 400 schools, while Afghanistan was hit by heatwaves followed by severe flooding that resulted in the destruction of more than 110 educational institutions in May. Moreover, prolonged drought conditions in southern Africa, exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon, threaten the educational futures of many children.
Despite these ongoing crises, the situation remains precarious. In December, Cyclone Chido devastated Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean, and Tropical Storm Dikeledi further impacted the region this month, leaving children without school for six weeks. On the African mainland, Cyclone Chido also obliterated more than 330 schools in Mozambique, where educational access is already severely limited. UNICEF stated that educational systems worldwide are generally ill-equipped to handle the ramifications of extreme weather events.
UNICEF’s report illustrates the significant impact of climate change on children’s education globally, particularly in vulnerable regions. The extreme weather patterns, such as heatwaves and flooding, are increasingly prevalent due to climate change, forcing children out of classrooms and disrupting learning. The report emphasizes the urgent need for educational systems to adapt to these challenges in order to secure children’s futures in the face of environmental crises.
The UNICEF report reveals an alarming trend of educational disruption caused by extreme weather events, particularly affecting vulnerable children in low-income countries. With a significant portion of the world’s youth experiencing interruptions in their schooling, it raises the urgency to strengthen educational infrastructures against climate change. Immediate action is needed to ensure that children are not denied their right to education due to environmental factors.
Original Source: www.nbcphiladelphia.com
