According to a UNICEF analysis, nearly 500 million children are growing up in regions where the number of extremely hot days each year has at least doubled compared to 60 years ago. This analysis, which is the first of its kind from the UN’s children’s agency, looked at how children’s exposure to extreme heat has changed over the past six decades.
As global temperatures rise, people around the world are increasingly facing severe climate challenges, including more frequent and intense heatwaves. Children are particularly at risk from these extreme conditions in hot regions.
Researchers compared temperature data from the 1960s with averages from 2020 to 2024 to evaluate the rise in extremely hot days, defined as temperatures exceeding 35°C (95°F). They discovered that 466 million children—about one in five worldwide—live in regions where the frequency of extremely hot days has doubled over the past 60 years.
The study highlighted that children in West and Central Africa face the highest levels of extreme heat and have experienced the most significant increases. In this regions, 123 million children, or 39% of the population, endure temperatures above 35°C for an average of four months each year. This includes 212 days in Mali, 202 days in Niger, 198 days in Senegal, and 195 days in Sudan.
David Knaute, a UNICEF regional climate specialist for West and Central Africa, emphasized that this analysis serves as a grave warning about the rapid escalation of extreme heat affecting children. He urged governments to take urgent action to control rising temperatures.
Extreme heat can lead to heat stress, posing serious health risks to children. This stress is associated with malnutrition, chronic diseases, and increased susceptibility to infectious diseases like malaria and dengue fever, which thrive in high temperatures.
Knaute noted that children are especially vulnerable to extreme heat. Unlike adults, their bodies heat up more quickly, sweat less efficiently, and cool down more slowly, making them more prone to heat stress, heatstroke, or even death.
Last year was the hottest on record, and scientists predict that global temperatures will continue to rise, leading to severe consequences for humanity and the planet.
The analysis found that children in eight countries, including Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sudan, and South Sudan, spend over half of the year in temperatures exceeding 35°C. For example, Mali experienced a record heatwave earlier this year with temperatures reaching up to 44°C.
Knaute explained that the Sahel region, which includes parts of Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Sudan, is especially vulnerable. This transitional zone between the arid Sahara and the more fertile areas to the south naturally experiences intense heating, and dust from the desert further disrupts the climate. Additionally, the lack of climate-resilient infrastructure, clean drinking water, and adequate health services exacerbates the impact of extreme heat on children in these areas.
Extreme heat not only affects children’s health but also disrupts their education. Shruti Agarwal, a senior adviser on climate change and sustainable economies at Save the Children, noted that rising temperatures are increasingly causing school closures, which negatively impacts students’ academic performance.
Earlier this year, South Sudan closed all schools in anticipation of a 45°C heatwave expected to last two weeks. Agarwal pointed out that as the frequency of extremely hot days increases, students’ learning outcomes are likely to suffer, which in turn affects the development of human capital.
To mitigate the effects of extreme heat on children, Agarwal emphasized the need for health and education systems to be better equipped to handle these challenges. She also advocated for involving children in the planning and implementation of adaptation measures.
UNICEF advises that countries must implement climate actions that protect children’s rights to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment by reducing emissions and adhering to climate agreements.
“There is still hope for the future, but we must act now. Waiting is not an option,” Knaute urged.
