The impacts of climate change put almost every child at risk
2020 was the hottest year on record. Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are the highest they have been in at least 3.5 million years. In many parts of the world, people are facing multiple climate-related impacts such as severe drought and flooding, air pollution and water scarcity, leaving their children vulnerable to malnutrition and disease.…, Afghanistan, A woman and child walk on snow on a hazy day in Afghanistan On a heavily polluted morning, a mother walks with her daughter across a snow-covered area of Kabul, Afghanistan. Children in Kabul are at increased risk of respiratory infections including pneumonia, from the burning of fossil fuels and other environmental contaminants. Child deaths from…, Bangladesh, Two boys riding a bicycle on a dusty road Children riding a bicycle on a severely polluted road in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Air pollution in Dhaka is contributing to health complications like asthma, dust allergy, heart disease and lung cancer. UNICEF is teaming up with young climate activists to raise awareness about climate change and the need to act…, Cambodia, A man holding a child on his shoulders wades through flood waters A man and his son wade through floodwaters on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In 2020, the country was hit by some of the worst flooding it has experienced in almost a decade, affecting the livelihoods of 900,000 people. Schools were shut and the risk of waterborne diseases…, Cote d’Ivoire, A woman collects plastic waste in Abidjan Ki Mariam, 31, is a plastic waste collector in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Over the next 30 years, the world may produce four times more plastic than ever before. Without plastic waste management, groundwater pollution, plastic-clogged drains and air pollution from burning trash may threaten access to clean…, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Children play on parched earth outside their school When heavy rains caused the Mutahyo River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to overflow in 2020, several villages and farming areas were flooded. Eighty per cent of the fields in Masisi Territory were damaged or completely destroyed and livestock and food stocks were washed away. Teachers…, Fiji, A group of boys sitting inside a library without a roof Students Ame, Paula, Ratu Luke and Semi Nataba, in the school library destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Yasa in Fiji in January 2021. When this category five cyclone, expected to affect more than 850,000 Fijians, made landfall in Fiji, UNICEF was on standby to respond, by providing tents and…, Guatemala, A family assesses their destroyed property Sonia Magaly Pa and her two children, Hernan, 13, and Dafne, 7, assess the damage after Hurricanes Eta and Iota passed through Guatemala in 2020. They lost their home and most of their belongings and had to move into a temporary shelter. The storms caused landslides and flooding affecting nearly 1.9…, Mozambique, A family walking through flooded paddy fields A woman carrying a child, makes her way to a relocation centre through a flooded area in Mozambique. Families moved there seeking aid and shelter from Tropical Cyclone Eloise that brought powerful winds, torrential rain and severe flooding in January 2021. It damaged and destroyed farmland, vital…, South Sudan, A UNICEF staff member carrying supplies UNICEF emergency specialists carry buckets for water purification and other emergency supplies, including hygiene kits, to be distributed along the overflowing Pibor River in South Sudan. Due to heavy seasonal rains and flooding in several parts of South Sudan in 2020, UNICEF is focused on making clean water…, Zimbabwe, School children walking through dry land Children walk between crop fields in Zimbabwe. The eastern parts of the country suffered the combined effects of Cyclone Idai in 2019 and severe drought in 2020. The drought led to food insecurity where it was estimated that 1.1 million women and children would require humanitarian nutrition assistance,…, UNICEF's climate action, UNICEF works tirelessly to protect and prepare children and young people in the climate crisis by raising awareness, securing action and supporting children and youth engagement. In 2020, and despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF supported governments in 74 countries in climate and environmental programming, and our advocacy and…
