Impact of Extreme Weather on Children: Urgent Call for Action at COP29

Approximately one in eight children worldwide has been severely affected by extreme weather events in 2024, with 300 million impacted due to disasters like storms, droughts, and flooding. Save the Children emphasizes the urgent need to prioritize children’s rights and experiences in climate change discussions ahead of COP29, where global leaders will gather to address these critical issues.

Save the Children has reported that approximately one in eight children globally has been significantly affected by the ten most severe extreme weather events of 2024, which include various storms, droughts, and flooding. As highlighted in their analysis conducted prior to the upcoming COP29 summit, around 300 million children across Asia, Africa, and Brazil have had to flee their homes, rely on humanitarian aid, or experienced school closures due to these disasters. This situation reflects the growing urgency to prioritize children’s rights in climate change discussions, given that many of the affected children reside in low- and middle-income countries. Extreme weather events witnessed this year consist of Tropical Storm Trami in the Philippines, causing the suspension of schools for 19.5 million children, severe drought in Southern Africa affecting 12.2 million children, and a heatwave in South Asia, impacting 256 million children. These events underscore the increasing frequency and severity of climate-related disasters, with the World Meteorological Organization reporting a five-fold increase over the past five decades. As world leaders prepare for COP29 in Azerbaijan, Save the Children urges that children’s needs and experiences be central to climate adaptation and finance discussions.

The frequency and severity of extreme weather events have intensified globally, largely attributed to climate change, which disproportionately affects children. Save the Children highlights that one in eight children globally—approximately 300 million—has been significantly impacted by climate-related incidents in 2024 alone. As leaders gather for the COP29 summit, the organization prioritizes the necessity of integrating children’s rights and experiences into climate policy to combat inequities exacerbated by these disasters, especially in economically disadvantaged regions.

In summary, Save the Children’s report brings to light the alarming impact of extreme weather events on the global child population, stressing the importance of addressing children’s rights amid climate change discussions. As world leaders convene for COP29, the call for immediate and effective action to protect children from the adverse effects of climate change remains critical. The testimony of affected children emphasizes the need for long-term solutions to ensure their educational and humanitarian needs are met.

Original Source: reliefweb.int