A new report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveals that 242 million children across 85 countries had their education disrupted last year due to extreme weather events such as heatwaves, cyclones, flooding, and other climate-related disasters. This figure represents one in seven school-aged children globally being temporarily kept out of school in 2024 as a result of climate hazards.
The report highlights that many nations, particularly low-income countries in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, suffered significant losses, with hundreds of schools destroyed by extreme weather. However, other regions were also impacted, with southern Europe experiencing devastating floods. In Italy, torrential rains and flooding affected more than 900,000 students, while catastrophic flooding in Spain forced thousands of schools to close.
The most prominent climate hazard disrupting education last year was heatwaves, according to UNICEF, as the planet recorded its hottest year ever. In April alone, over 118 million children saw their schooling interrupted, as heatwaves scorched parts of the Middle East and Asia, from Gaza to the Philippines, with temperatures reaching above 40°C (104°F).
UNICEF’s executive director, Catherine Russell, emphasized that children are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate-related crises, including increasingly frequent and severe heatwaves, storms, droughts, and floods.
The report also underscores the disproportionate impact on children in developing countries, where the infrastructure to cope with such extreme weather events is often lacking. In many of these regions, schools are not only physically destroyed but also lack the resources to provide remote learning options during disruptions, further exacerbating educational inequalities.
In countries like Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Mozambique, children are not only facing interruptions to their education but are also being forced to deal with the long-term consequences of climate change, such as displacement, food insecurity, and a lack of access to basic services. UNICEF’s report calls for urgent action to invest in climate-resilient education systems and infrastructure, as well as to improve early warning systems and emergency responses to safeguard children’s right to education.
In addition to supporting adaptation and disaster preparedness in vulnerable countries, UNICEF is advocating for global cooperation to tackle the root causes of climate change. The organization calls for strengthened efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate further damage to the environment, emphasizing the need for sustainable development to protect the future of the planet’s youngest generations.
As climate change continues to escalate, the report warns that the frequency and severity of such weather events are only expected to increase, meaning more children will face disruptions to their education. UNICEF urges governments, international organizations, and communities to prioritize children’s education in their climate response strategies and ensure that young people have the resilience and resources to thrive in an increasingly unpredictable world.
