Climate crisis: 43 million minors had to flee in the past six years Iranian human rights activist will receive the Nobel Peace Prize this year

Extreme weather events linked to the climate crisis have displaced millions of minors in recent years, according to a new UN report. According to the children’s organization Unicef, 43.1 million children and young people had to leave their homes at least temporarily between 2016 and 2021 due to floods, storms, droughts and forest fires.

An estimate for the next thirty years also projects that approximately 96 million minors could be displaced simply because rivers overflow their banks.

In the period 2016 to 2021, China and the Philippines were among the countries where most children and young people had to flee due to weather conditions.

Relative to the total population, minors in small island states like Vanuatu were hit hardest by storms. Floods had the greatest impact in Somalia and South Sudan.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell lamented that these frightening experiences could be particularly devastating for children and young people. “The escape may have saved their lives, but it is a very harrowing experience. As the impacts of climate change continue to worsen, climate-related refugee movements will also increase.

The knowledge is in place to meet the escalating challenge, Russell said. “But we are acting far too slowly.” (sda/dpa)