More than 113 million displacements of children will occur in the next three decades, estimated the UNICEF report released Friday, which took into account risks from flooding rivers, cyclonic winds and floods that follow a storm.Some children, like 10-year-old Shukri Mohamed Ibrahim, are already on the move. Her family left their home in Somalia after dawn prayers on a Saturday morning five months ago.
Worldwide, climate change has already left millions homeless. Rising seas are eating away at coastlines; storms are battering megacities and drought is exacerbating conflict. But while catastrophes intensify, the world has yet to recognize climate migrants and find formal ways of protecting them. The Philippines, India and China had the most child displacement by climate hazards, accounting for nearly half. Those countries also have vast populations and strong systems to evacuate people, which makes it easier for them to record data.
The floodwaters have receded and the family began repairing their home last month -- a process Garima's mother Meera Devi said they are having to do over and over again as floods are becoming more common. Her father, Shiv Kumar, hasn't had any work for over a month. The family's only income is the mother's $2 daily earnings as a domestic helper.
In estimating future risks, the report did not include wildfires and drought, or potential mitigation measures. It said vital services like education and health care need to become "shock-responsive, portable and inclusive," to help children and their families better cope with disasters. This would mean considering children's needs at different stages, from ensuring they have opportunities to study, that they can stay with their families and that eventually they can find work.
A drone attack hit a crowded military graduation ceremony Thursday in the Syrian city of Homs, killing 80 people and wounding 240, the health minister said, in one of the deadliest recent attacks on an army that's been fighting a civil war for more than a decade.B.C. will be banning the use of illicit drugs in parks and on beaches, as well as near doorways and bus stops.