The climate crisis is a child rights crisis
Hundreds of thousands of children affected by extreme weather conditions in South Sudan needs urgent support
South Sudan is ranked number 7 worldwide in children’s exposure to climate change and environmental shocks. Young people living in South Sudan are among those most at risk of the impacts of climate change, threatening their health, education, and protection, according to a recent global UNICEF Report.
Climate change is impacting children in South Sudan as never before.
Due to extreme weather conditions – including flooding – children and their families are displaced to higher grounds, whilst life-saving services are often cut off or inaccessible. Families lack access to clean water and proper health care, contributing to increased sickness and malnutrition. As their schools are flooded, children cannot access education, impacting their learning. Without the protective environment of the school, they become more vulnerable to child rights abuses and exploitation like early pregnancies, recruitment in gangs and armed groups, child labor and gender-based violence.
Climate change has contributed to increased severity, durations and spread of annual floods in South Sudan, which are increasingly unpredictable. Since 2019, floods have affected between 750,000 and one million people every year, forcing half of them to leave their homeland in search of safety.
Close to one million people have been affected by the current flooding which started in 2021. Contrary to past years, water levels in many locations are not residing, despite the onset of the dry season. This year, a higher number of children are now exposed for longer periods of time to the risks and vulnerabilities associated with the impact of floods, including lack of access to basic social services and protection against abuses and exploitation.
UNICEF and partners are responding to the immediate needs of people affected and displaced by floods, providing them with essential supplies, including soap, drugs and education materials, while ensuring continuation of lifesaving services such as healthcare, vaccination, nutrition and access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
To reduce the impact of floods on the most vulnerable population, UNICEF invests in flood resilience of local communities and preparedness activities, including pre-positioning of supplies during the dry season when roads remain accessible.
UNICEF and partners continue to respond to the need of children and communities affected by extreme weather conditions and floods, but they face serious funding challenges. More flexible funding is urgently needed to address the needs of children and their families affected by the consequences of climate change and flooding.
