Escalation of Climate Change Intensifies Displacement of Children Due to Extreme Weather

29

According to a report from the United Nations, between 2016 and 2021, over 43 million children were forcibly relocated due to extreme weather events such as storms, floods, and fires. The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) anticipates that within the coming three decades, more than 113 million child displacements are likely to occur, factoring in hazards like river flooding, cyclonic winds, and the deluges that typically accompany storms.

Children like Shukri Mohamed Ibrahim, a 10-year-old girl from Somalia, symbolize the grim reality of this ongoing crisis. Ibrahim’s family abandoned their home five months ago after enduring the harshest drought in over half a century, which devastated the fertile grazing lands they depended on for their livelihood. Forced to relocate to a camp in Mogadishu, Ibrahim now attends school for the first time, an ostensibly positive development. However, the camp offers inadequate shelter, sanitation facilities are lacking, and food is in short supply.

While extreme weather events like floods and storms often trigger preemptive evacuations, droughts typically do not. This results in an undercount of the true number of displaced individuals, particularly in nations like Somalia. Global climate change exacerbates these phenomena, leading to rising sea levels that erode coastlines, intensifying storms that affect urban areas, and droughts that fuel conflicts. Yet, formal recognition and protection mechanisms for climate migrants remain insufficient.

Laura Healy, a UNICEF migration specialist and one of the authors of the report, stated, “The consequences of climate change will increasingly affect children in the future.” The study revealed that children were involved in nearly a third, or 43 million, of the 134 million total instances of displacement due to extreme weather between 2016 and 2021. Approximately half were uprooted by storms, with significant numbers of displacements occurring in the Philippines. Floods accounted for more than 19 million child displacements, primarily in India and China, whereas wildfires affected children 810,000 times in the United States and Canada.

The report, compiled in collaboration with the Geneva-based International Displacement Monitoring Center, also found that children in the Horn of Africa and small Caribbean islands are particularly vulnerable due to “overlapping crises” involving climate risks, societal conflict, fragile institutions, and poverty. Departing from their homes exposes children to additional dangers, including exploitation.

Countries such as Vietnam, India, and Bangladesh are likely to experience large-scale child displacements in the future due to worsening climate conditions. Policymakers and the private sector need to consider the unique vulnerabilities of children when devising climate and energy plans. The UNICEF report advocates for the creation of “shock-responsive, portable and inclusive” education and healthcare systems to assist children and their families in better managing the outcomes of natural disasters.

“We possess the requisite tools and knowledge, but the pace of our actions is insufficient,” remarked Healy.

The report serves as a critical call to action, urging governments and organizations to integrate these findings into their policymaking and relief efforts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Child Displacements Due to Climate Change

More about Child Displacements Due to Climate Change

• UNICEF Report on Child Displacement Due to Climate Change
• International Displacement Monitoring Center
• United Nations Climate Change Information
• AP’s Climate Initiative
• Climate and Energy Planning Policies
• Global Data on Extreme Weather Events
• Vulnerabilities and Overlapping Crises in Horn of Africa and Caribbean
• Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Statistics
• Climate-Responsive Education and Healthcare Systems
• Current Global Climate Action Plans and Progress