The acceleration of climate change can be seen in heatwaves, cyclones, hurricanes, wildfires, and storms. This extreme weather leaves unavoidable consequences, mainly for developing countries, and Unicef focused on the data.
The international organization warned that one out of every seven students was affected in 2024. This worsens the existing learning crisis in the world.
Extreme Weather and Millions of Affected Students
In total, 242 million students, from preschool to lower secondary school, were affected by extreme weather events in 85 countries.
School-aged children, the most affected. (Photo: AFP).[/caption>
This is highlighted in Unicef’s first report “Learning Interrupted: a global snapshot of climate-related school disruptions in 2024“. It was published on the International Day of Education.
This is the first evidence of the impact of extreme weather on educational systems, generally unprepared to protect students from these phenomena, as reminded by the child protection organization.
“Children are more vulnerable to the effects of weather crises, such as heatwaves, storms, droughts, and more severe and frequent floods,” explains Catherine Russell, Unicef’s Executive Director in a statement.
In addition to biological reasons, since children’s bodies are more vulnerable to heat than adults, for example, “they cannot concentrate in classrooms.” This is the case for those that do not offer them relief from stifling heat.
They also cannot reach school “if the road is flooded, or if schools are swept away by the waters,” she adds.
Vulnerable Sectors, the Most Affected
In a world where educational systems are failing millions of students for various reasons. Weather events cause school closures and damage to infrastructure, as well as school materials.
But, as Unicef warns, they can also affect concentration, memory, and even the mental and physical health of students.
In fragile contexts, prolonged school closures reduce the chances of students returning to school. Additionally, they expose them to a higher risk of forced marriage and child labor.
“Data shows that girls are often disproportionately affected, facing greater risks of dropping out of school and gender-based violence during and after disasters,” says Unicef.
Just the heat caused in 2024 (the warmest year on record) school closures, leaving more than 118 million students without classes in April alone, according to the report.
The damage from the rains caused by Dana in Spain.
The 74% of affected students lived in low and lower-middle-income countries, but no region was spared.
Torrential rains and floods affected Italy in September, leading to the interruption of classes for over 900,000 students, as well as Spain in October, when 13,000 children were left without classes.
The Most Affected Region
In May, temperatures reached 47 degrees Celsius in some areas of southern Asia, posing a significant risk for children.
According to the analysis, South Asia was the most affected region, with 128 million students facing school disruptions related to weather last year.
2024 was the Warmest Year
It’s confirmed: 2024 was the warmest year for the planet on record. The Earth’s surface average temperature was the highest, according to an analysis led by NASA scientists.
The global temperatures of 2024 were 2.30 degrees Fahrenheit (1.28 degrees Celsius) above NASA’s reference period average (from 1951 to 1980).
As a consequence, the frequency and severity of extreme weather events are increasing.
This results in more summer heatwaves due to changes in atmospheric circulation, forest fires or floods.
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