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690 mln children live in extreme environment due to climate change: UNICEF

Xinhua, November 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

A report published by the UN's International Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday found that some 530 million children live in areas with extremely high flood occurrence, while 160 million live in high drought severity zones.

   Released ahead of the 21st United Nations climate change conference (COP21) in Paris, the report showed that 300 million of the 530 million children in flood prone zones live in countries where over 50 percent of the population live in poverty (surviving on less than 3.10 U.S. dollars a day). 

 

 

Children cool off in a public fountain in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Jan. 19, 2015. The temperature here reached 37 Celsius degrees on the day. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso) 

 

   The report said that out of the 160 million children living in drought-vulnerable areas, almost one third (50 million) reside in countries where over half of the population lives in poverty.

   "The sheer numbers underline the urgency of acting now," UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said in a statement.

 

 

A child plants a sapling in Warsaw, capital of Poland, on Nov. 12, 2013. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan) 

 

   "Today's children are the least responsible for climate change, but they, and their children, are the ones who will live with its consequences. And, as is so often the case, disadvantaged communities face the gravest threat," he added.

   According to UNICEF, most of those living in high risk of flood areas are located in Asia, whereas the majority of the children living in areas at risk of drought are in Africa.

 

 

Children take part in an event of the annual Earth Hour campaign in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, on March 28, 2015. The Earth Hour encourages people all around the world to turn off the nonessential lights during one hour on the last Saturday of March with the objective of reflecting on energy saving and stopping climate change. (Xinhua/Martin Zabala) 

 

   COP21, held from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, will strive to unite world leaders into finding solutions to cut greenhouse gases.

   "We know what has to be done to prevent the devastation climate change can inflict. Failing to act would be unconscionable," Lake said, adding that "we owe it to our children, and to the planet, to make the right decisions at COP 21."