More than 27 million children are at risk from the floods that are setting a record breaking |
The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said in its alert on Tuesday as the COP27 Climate Conference continues, that most of the children affected are among the most vulnerable and that these disasters cause the governments and international communities to respond, given the enormous scale of need.
With millions of children at grave risk of hunger, disease, exploitation and death, the agency is calling on delegates at COP27 to commit to funding to protect children from the devastating effects of climate change.
The flood waters of death
UNICEF said that this year, floods have contributed to the increase of major killers of children, such as malnutrition, malaria, cholera and diarrhoea, and that the consequences of floods are often more deadly for children than natural disasters. the hard day that caused the flood. .
In Pakistan, more than one in nine children under the age of five, admitted to health centers in flood-prone areas of Sindh and Balochistan, are found to be suffering from acute malnutrition.
In South Sudan, 95 UNICEF-supported food sites have been affected by the floods, preventing the delivery of life-saving and malnutrition services for 92,000 children.
About 840,000 children have been displaced by floods in Nigeria in recent months.
Heavy rains and flooding in Yemen caused floods causing extensive damage to warehouses in the shipping areas. Up to 73,854 families were affected and 24,000 families were displaced.
Children make their way home through polluted flood water in Jacobabad, Sindh province, Pakistan.
‘See water in idleness’
“COP27 provides an opportunity to shape a credible roadmap with milestones for funding for climate change and solutions for loss and damage,” said Paloma Escudero, UNICEF Director of Global Communications and Advocacy. .
He added that young people “from the most affected places on Earth are drowning in climate unemployment.” You’re right. Lives are on the line – children need action now. “
Adaptation is key
As well as pressuring governments and big business to urgently reduce emissions, UNICEF is urging leaders to take immediate action to protect children from climate change by adapting the critical social services they rely on.
Adaptation measures, such as creating water, health and education systems that are resilient to floods and droughts, will save lives.
Paloma Escudero said that “without urgent action, many vulnerable children and young people will lose their lives in the coming days and weeks. And without climate action, hundreds of millions more will almost certainly suffer like those in Pakistan. “
The Chari and Logone rivers overflowed in N’Djamena, after the heaviest rain in Chad in 30 years.
