Climate disasters, such as floods, storms and droughts, have a significant impact on people around the world. According to a recent UNICEF study, between 2016 and 2021, these disasters caused more than 43 million child displacements. This little-known reality highlights the urgent need to pay special attention to these “invisible” victims.
Unicef has decided to set up data collection in order to better understand the situation of children displaced following climate disasters. Of the ten most affected countries, there are six African countries, namely South Sudan, Somalia, Niger, Congo, Sudan and the Central African Republic. These figures are all the more alarming when we consider that these movements put children in a vulnerable situation, exposing them to physical and psychological violence and trafficking.
It is important to note that the statistics proposed by Unicef only take into account displacement linked to certain specific events such as floods and storms, and do not take into account displacement resulting from droughts, which are often more difficult to evaluate. Therefore, these figures probably underestimate the true scale of the phenomenon.
The countries most affected in terms of child movements are the Philippines, India and China, which alone account for 23 of the 43 million movements recorded. However, when taking into account each country’s child population, South Sudan and Somalia have the highest rates of child displacement. In fact, 12 out of 100 children are displaced in these countries following climate disasters.
Faced with this alarming reality, it is crucial that governments, international organizations and the international community redouble their efforts to prevent and mitigate the consequences of climate disasters. It is essential to put in place appropriate protection measures for displaced children, in order to guarantee them a safe environment conducive to their development. In addition, support and assistance initiatives should be deployed to meet the immediate needs of these children, particularly in terms of access to education, health and security.
In conclusion, child displacement caused by climate disasters is a major problem that requires urgent attention from society. It is imperative to recognize these “invisible” victims and provide them with the necessary support to overcome the challenges they face. It is time to act together to preserve the future for future generations.