Children in Africa are among the most at risk of the impacts of climate change but are neglected by the key climate financing flows required to help them adapt, survive and respond to the climate crisis, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned. According to a UNICEF report released Friday, children in 48 out of 49 African countries assessed are categorized between medium-high and extremely high risk of the impacts of climate change. The report found children living in the Central African Republic, Chad, Nigeria, Guinea, Somalia and Guinea-Bissau are the most vulnerable.
The analysis, released ahead of the Africa Climate Summit that starts Monday in Nairobi, assesses countries based on children's exposure to climate and environmental shocks, such as cyclones and heatwaves, as well as their vulnerability to those shocks, based on their access to essential services.
The UNICEF report - supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - highlights the disproportionate impact of climate change on children in Africa, a region that has contributed minimally to global carbon emissions.
Drawing on data from the Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI), the report emphasizes how African children face extraordinarily high levels of exposure and vulnerability to climate-related hazards. According to the CCRI, 39 out of 49 African countries for which CCRI data is available, fall under 'extremely high' or 'high' risk categories. All African countries except one, Tunisia, fall into a climate risk class that is between the “medium-high” and the “extremely high” categories.
The Climate change risk index was developed by the UN children’s agency to provide a synthetic measurement of the unique and heightened risks faced by boys and girls due to the effects of climate change. The CCRI measures both children’s immediate susceptibility and long-term resilience.
In response to this increased risk to children, the UNICEF report examines how multilateral climate funds (MCF) are targeting their resources. Just 2.4 percent of this key global climate funding can be classified as supporting child-responsive activities, with an average value of just $71 million per year.
"It is clear that the youngest members of African society are bearing the brunt of the harsh effects of climate change," Lieke van de Wiel, Deputy Director, UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa region, said.
"They are the least able to cope, due to physiological vulnerability and poor access to essential social services. We need to see a stronger focusing of funding towards this group, so they are equipped to face a lifetime of climate-induced disruptions."
According to the UN agency, children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of climate and environmental shocks and stresses. While they are physically less able to withstand and survive hazards such as floods, droughts, storms and heatwaves, boys and girls are physiologically more vulnerable to toxic substances such as lead and other forms of pollution.
UNICEF said despite substantial progress made by virtually all countries in the provision of essential services, persistent challenges contribute to an increased vulnerability for children, including limited access to good quality health and nutrition services, a lack of safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), limited access to quality education and high levels of poverty.
The report also reveals a strong correlation between countries with poor rankings on health, nutrition, WASH services and those ranking high or extremely high on the Children's Climate Risk Index, highlighting how vulnerable these children are to the impacts of climate change.
UNICEF calls on governments, intergovernmental institutions, businesses and other relevant stakeholders to prioritize five key sets of actions:
1) Strengthen climate resilience of essential service systems to protect children and communities; 2) Allocate more domestic and international funding for child-responsive climate programs; 3) Equip children with climate education and green skills; 4) Involve children in decision-making processes; and 5) Reduce carbon emissions globally.
Failure to act now, the report warns, not only exacerbates immediate risks but also threatens long-term resilience and contributes to social inequality and political instability.
The report's release comes as July 2023 was the warmest month on record, and ahead of the African Climate Summit, which takes place in Nairobi from September 4-6.
African countries are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, experiencing the dire impacts of the climate crisis including drought, flooding, extreme weather temperatures, rising sea levels while they produce the fewest greenhouse emissions.
The summit starting on Monday will bring together government officials, organizations and experts to support sustainable green growth and climate financing solutions for Africa. The conference will shape a statement for African heads of state at the upcoming global Conference of Parties (COP28) meeting in December in the United Arab Emirates.
In Africa in particular, which already suffers from numerous disastrous conflicts, the climate crisis is closely linked to the increase and aggravation of humanitarian crises that affect many millions of people on the continent and pose immense challenges to the world. Devastating storms, floods, historic droughts, and extreme heat waves are killing people, destroying their livelihoods, causing hunger crises, and spreading disease.
Further information
Full text: Time to Act: African children in the climate change spotlight, UNICEF report, released September 1, 20223
https://www.unicef.org/media/144546/file/Time%20to%20Act:%20African%20Children%20in%20the%20Climate%20Change%20Spotlight.pdf