Children bear the brunt of climate change: UNICEF
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More than half a billion children live in areas with extremely high flood occurrence and 160 million in high drought severity zones, leaving them highly exposed to the impacts of climate change, UNICEF said Tuesday.
Of the 530 million children in the flood-prone zones, some 300 million live in countries where more than half the population lives in poverty -- on less than 3.10 U.S. dollars a day, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a report.
The report pointed out that "Of those living in high drought severity areas, 50 million are in countries where more than half the population lives in poverty."
"The sheer numbers underline the urgency of acting now," UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said.
"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 said.
Climate change means more droughts, floods, heatwaves and other severe weather conditions. These events can cause death and devastation, and can also contribute to the increased spread of major killers of children, such as malnutrition, malaria and diarrhea, according to the report.
"This can create a vicious circle: A child deprived of adequate water and sanitation before a crisis will be more affected by a flood, drought, or severe storm, less likely to recover quickly, and at even greater risk when faced with a subsequent crisis," the report warned.
The vast majority of the children living in areas at extremely high risk of floods are in Asia, and the majority of those in areas at risk of drought are in Africa, said the report.
In the upcoming 21st United Nations climate change conference, known as COP21, world leaders gathering in Paris from Nov. 30 to Dec.11 will seek to reach agreement on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, which is critical to limiting potentially catastrophic rises in temperature.
"We know what has to be done to prevent the devastation climate change can inflict. Failing to act would be unconscionable," said Lake. "We owe it to our children -- and to the planet -- to make the right decisions at COP21." Endite