The United Nations Children’s Fund has raised concerns over the growing impact of climate change on children, revealing that about 1.1 billion children globally are exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards.
UNICEF, in its Children’s Climate Risk Report 2026, warned that half of the world’s children are exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards threatening their health, education and survival
According to the report, nearly every child worldwide is now exposed to at least one climate hazard, including floods, droughts, tropical storms, heatwaves, extreme heat, wildfires, and sand and dust storms.
UNICEF noted that climate hazards are becoming more frequent and intense due to human-induced global warming, creating multiple risks for children across different regions of the world.
The report showed that two billion children are exposed to at least two climate hazards, while 364 million face at least four. It added that 53 million children are exposed to five hazards, four million to six hazards, while over 123,000 children face at least seven overlapping climate threats.
It identified Nigeria among countries with large child populations facing significant exposure to multiple climate hazards, alongside India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
The report warned that climate-related shocks continue to disrupt critical social services relied upon by children, including healthcare, education, nutrition, water and sanitation services, child protection, and social welfare programmes.
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It further noted that floods and storms are displacing families and disrupting schooling, while prolonged droughts are worsening food insecurity and malnutrition.
“Almost all children are now exposed to at least one climate hazard,” the report stated, adding that the climate crisis is increasingly undermining children’s rights and exposing them to greater risks.
UNICEF said children are disproportionately affected because of their physical vulnerability and dependence on social services that are often weakened by climate-related disasters.
The report revealed that 20 million children missed life-saving vaccinations in 2024, while climate change could contribute to an additional 28 million cases of child wasting and 40 million cases of stunting globally by 2050.
It also disclosed that 634 million children lacked safely managed drinking water services in 2024, while one billion lacked safely managed sanitation services.
On education, UNICEF reported that at least 242 million students in 85 countries and territories had their schooling disrupted by climate-related events in 2024 alone.
The report further highlighted the growing displacement crisis among children, noting that between 2016 and 2023, climate hazards triggered 62.1 million internal displacements involving children, equivalent to more than 21,000 child displacements daily.
UNICEF called on governments and development partners to take urgent action to protect children from climate risks by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening climate-resilient social services, and investing in adaptation measures.
The agency also urged policymakers to prioritise children’s needs in national climate plans and ensure that young people are actively involved in climate-related decision-making processes.
“Upholding every child’s right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment requires urgent, coordinated and child-responsive climate policies, action and investment,” UNICEF stated.
The organisation stressed that without immediate action, millions more children could face worsening health outcomes, disrupted education, increased poverty, and heightened vulnerability to future climate shocks.
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