New York [US], January 24 (ANI/WAM): At least 242 million students in 85 countries or territories had their schooling disrupted by extreme climate events including heatwaves, tropical cyclones, storms, floods and droughts in 2024, exacerbating an existing learning crisis, a new UNICEF analysis revealed today.
In a report issued today by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) titled “Learning Interrupted: Global Snapshot of Climate-Related School Disruptions in 2024,” the organisation highlighted the climate-related hazards that led to school closures and disruptions in education schedules.
The report found that the primary impact was on children in primary to upper secondary education.
The report noted that heatwaves were the primary climate hazard affecting schools in 2024, resulting in the closure of schools and disrupting the education of at least 118 million students in a single month, April.
In May, temperatures soared to 47 degrees Celsius, particularly in parts of South Asia, exposing children to the risk of heatstroke.
The most significant school disruptions due to adverse weather conditions last year occurred during the start of the academic year in September, when at least 16 countries closed schools. East Asia and the Pacific were notably affected by Typhoon Yagi, which impacted 16 million children.
The report pointed out that South Asia experienced the highest levels of disruption due to climate-related events, with schools serving 50 million students in East Asia and the Pacific also affected.
Additionally, the report highlighted the devastating impact of the El Nino phenomenon in Africa, which caused severe floods and heavy rainfall in East Africa and extreme drought in parts of southern Africa.
The report emphasised the urgent need to increase financial investment in education to enhance school infrastructure and educational systems, ensuring better protection for students against climate change impacts.
It also called for strengthening climate-smart national plans to improve critical social services for children, including education.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stated that children are often the most vulnerable to the negative impacts of extreme or adverse climate crises, including heatwaves, storms, droughts, and increasingly severe and frequent floods.
She explained that children’s bodies are more vulnerable than those of adults, making them less efficient at sweating, slower to cool down, and more susceptible to heat-related illnesses.
Russell added that in 2024 alone, extreme weather conditions left one in seven students out of classrooms, threatening their health, safety, and long-term educational outcomes. (ANI/WAM)
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