UNICEF Reports Nearly 250 Million Children Missed School Due to Extreme Weather
UNICEF reports that nearly 250 million children missed school last year due to extreme weather, affecting one in seven school-aged children globally. The primary climate hazards included heatwaves, cyclones, and flooding, with significant disruptions observed especially in low-income nations. The situation highlights the urgent need for educational systems to adapt to these climate challenges.
According to a recent report from UNICEF, nearly 250 million children missed school last year due to extreme weather events, which translates to one in seven school-aged children worldwide being affected by climate hazards in 2024. The disruptions were primarily caused by a variety of climate challenges, including heatwaves, cyclones, and heavy flooding in 85 countries.
The report highlights that nations with lower incomes in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa suffered significant educational interruptions, with thousands of schools completely destroyed. However, these extreme weather conditions affected other regions as well. For instance, heavy rains and floods in Italy disrupted education for over 900,000 children, while catastrophic flooding in Spain led to numerous class cancellations.
UNICEF identified heatwaves as the most prevalent climate hazard impacting education, attributing this increase to the escalating effects of climate change. Specifically, more than 118 million children faced schooling interruptions in April as a severe heatwave affected vast areas from Gaza to the Philippines, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
“Children are more vulnerable to the impacts of weather-related crises, including stronger and more frequent heatwaves, storms, droughts and flooding,” stated UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. Furthermore, she noted that children struggle to concentrate in excessively hot classrooms and cannot access schools when paths are submerged or when schools are destroyed.
Approximately 74% of the affected children come from middle- and low-income countries, underscoring the significant impact of climatic extremes on the world’s poorest nations. In April, flooding damaged over 400 schools in Pakistan, while severe heatwaves led to devastating floods in Afghanistan that destroyed more than 110 schools in May.
The situation remains dire, as exemplified by Cyclone Chido, which devastated the French territory of Mayotte and struck Mozambique, damaging over 330 schools and three regional education departments. UNICEF emphasized the urgent need for improved resilience in global education systems to face the intensifying impacts of extreme weather.
In recent years, climate-related crises have increasingly disrupted education as extreme weather events continue to escalate. Reports indicate that these events primarily affect regions with limited resources, highlighting the vulnerability of children in low-income countries. UNICEF’s findings aim to raise awareness regarding the importance of addressing educational disruptions due to climate hazards and the necessity for responsive systems that can mitigate these impacts.
In summary, the UNICEF report reveals that nearly 250 million children were unable to attend school last year due to extreme weather conditions, emphasizing the disproportionate impact on children in low-income countries. As climate change leads to increasingly frequent and severe weather events, the need for robust educational infrastructures and strategies to protect children’s access to schooling has never been more urgent.
Original Source: www.hindustantimes.com
