Nearly half of the world’s children are exposed to multiple climate-related threats — UNICEF
More than one billion children worldwide—nearly half of the world’s child population—are simultaneously facing at least three climate-related threats that affect their health, education, and safety.
This is according to a new report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The study covered eight major climate risks: floods, droughts, tropical storms, heatwaves, extreme heat, wildfires, as well as sand and dust storms.
According to UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, climate change is already significantly affecting the daily lives of children around the world.
The most common combination of threats is drought, extreme heat, and heatwaves—more than 296 million children live in such conditions. Another 115 million children are affected by droughts, extreme heat, and tropical storms simultaneously.
The report emphasizes that climate risks do not affect only poor countries. In particular, in Italy, more than 6 million children regularly suffer from prolonged periods of heat and drought.
In addition to climate-related phenomena, UNICEF analyzed the impact of air pollution and malaria. According to the organization’s estimates, air pollution affects nearly every child in the world, and about one billion children live in areas at risk of malaria transmission.
The fund is calling on governments to invest more actively in healthcare, education, and infrastructure to protect children from the consequences of the climate crisis.
Source: UNICEF.
Heavy rain, thunderstorms, and strong winds caused widespread power outages in the Kyiv region.
Kyiv and the Kyiv region were hit by severe weather, including heavy rain and hail. Due to the intense rainfall, roads in the capital were flooded, and in some areas, cars were partially submerged in water. Fallen trees have also been reported. Emergency services are working to address the aftermath of the storm.
