Climate-Induced Disasters Displace 9.7m Filipino Kids

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Manila: As many as 9.7 million children in the Philippines were displaced from 2016 to 2021 due to climate-related disasters, making the Southeast Asian country the epicenter of the crisis, according to a new United Nations report.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) report titled ‘Children Displaced in Changing Climate’ released on Friday, nearly 2.5 million children across the Philippines are at risk of being displaced by storm surges over the next 30 years.

Regarding hazards, the Philippines ranks first for storms and third for floods in terms of the absolute number of displaced children. An average of 20 typhoons batter the archipelago annually.

The Children Displaced in a Changing Climate report is the first global analysis of the number of children driven from their homes between 2016 and 2021 due to floods, storms, droughts, and wildfires. It looks at projections for the next 30 years.

UNICEF Representative to the Philippines, Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov, said that children are among those who suffer the most when they are displaced in times of disaster. They experience stress, lose days in school, get sick, and become more prone to exploitation and abuse.

Oyunsaikhan stressed the need to strengthen efforts to protect at-risk children and support those displaced.

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