In a groundbreaking analysis conducted by Unicef and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), it has been uncovered that over the past six years, a staggering 43 million children have been uprooted from their homes due to extreme weather events. This alarming figure translates to the unsettling reality of 20,000 children being compelled to abandon their residences and schools every single day.
The primary culprits behind this immense child displacement were floods and storms, accounting for a remarkable 95% of recorded cases between 2016 and 2021. In addition to this, wildfires and droughts forcibly displaced over 2 million children, adding to the grim statistics.
The consequences of such displacements are profoundly traumatic, especially for children who are deprived of their education, crucial vaccinations, and vital social networks. Unicef Executive Director Catherine Russell emphasized the devastating impact, stating, “It is terrifying for any child when a ferocious wildfire, storm, or flood barrels into their community.”
In absolute terms, China, the Philippines, and India emerged as the leaders, with a staggering 22.3 million child displacements—slightly over half of the total. This can be attributed to these countries’ geographical vulnerability to extreme weather phenomena, such as monsoon rains and cyclones, coupled with their substantial child populations and increased preemptive evacuations.
However, the highest proportion of child displacements occurred in small island nations—many grappling with existential threats linked to the climate crisis—and the Horn of Africa, marked by a convergence of conflict, extreme weather events, governance challenges, and resource exploitation.
Dominica, a small Caribbean island ravaged by Hurricane Maria in 2017, stood out with a staggering 76% of its children experiencing displacement. Storms also inflicted displacement on over a quarter of children in Cuba, Vanuatu, Saint Martin, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Floods dominated as the cause of displacement in Somalia and South Sudan, impacting 12% and 11% of the child population, respectively.
This grim scenario is the result of the escalating impact of weather-related disasters, amplified by fossil fuel-induced global warming. Nevertheless, these figures are likely a conservative estimate, with significant gaps in reporting related to droughts and slower-onset climate impacts like rising sea levels, desertification, and increasing temperatures.
Verena Knaus, Unicef’s lead on global migration and displacement, stressed the importance of prioritizing children in climate policies and discussions. She noted, “Climate is the fastest-growing driver of child displacement, yet most policies and discussions about climate finance fail to consider or prioritize children.”
The report also highlighted that riverine floods pose the most significant future risk, potentially displacing nearly 96 million children over the next three decades. Storm surges and winds could force 10.3 million and 7.2 million children, respectively, to be uprooted over the same period. However, these numbers could be far worse if urgent action to phase out fossil fuels is not taken.
The stark reality is that countries like India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, the Philippines, and China, due to their large populations, are expected to experience the most child displacements. On a relative scale, children in the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, and Antigua and Barbuda are predicted to bear the brunt of weather-related displacements in the coming years.
The urgency of addressing this crisis cannot be overstated. As Adeline Neau, an Amnesty International researcher for Central America and Mexico, aptly noted, “The figures are extremely worrying and demonstrate the urgent need for states to recognize and plan for the link between climate change and displacement, to minimize long-term health, education, and other developmental impacts on displaced children.”
In an era where global climate action is crucial, these findings underscore the critical role of safeguarding the well-being and future of the world’s children amid the intensifying climate crisis.
