UNICEF: climate events increase girls’ risk of dropping out of school
Girls face a higher risk of dropping out of school when their schools are affected by heatwaves, storms or wildfires linked to climate change. This is stated in an analysis by the United Nations Children’s Fund, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.
According to UNICEF estimates, extreme weather events disrupted the education of more than 171 million students in 106 countries and territories in 2025. This amounts to more than one in 10 students.
Risk factors for girls
The organization noted that girls suffer the most when school buildings are damaged, classes are cancelled or education is moved online. Damage to schools and sanitation facilities, forced displacement and the loss of family income can place additional responsibilities on them to care for relatives and collect water.
Such circumstances can also increase the risk of child marriage and make it more difficult for girls to return to classrooms after schools resume operations, UNICEF stressed.
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Storms were the most frequent
Storms were the most widespread cause of disruptions to the educational process last year, affecting the education of 109 million students worldwide. Floods affected at least 70 million children, while heatwaves disrupted the education of about 50 million children.
The total number affected in 2025 was lower than the estimate for the previous year, when climate hazards affected nearly 250 million children in 85 countries — every seventh child. At the same time, UNICEF changed its methodology: the new analysis was based on data from humanitarian organizations and local media rather than government statistics.
According to the organization’s estimate, about one billion children, or half of the world’s children, live in countries at very high risk of climate and environmental shocks. Lost learning time and worsening literacy and numeracy skills could result in at least $200 billion in lifetime income losses. UNICEF called on governments and partners to invest more in educational infrastructure resilient to climate and environmental hazards.
