In 2024, extreme weather events severely disrupted education worldwide, with approximately 242 million students across 85 countries missing school due to heatwaves, storms, floods, and droughts, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
UNICEF’s report underscored the devastating effects of “extreme climate events” on school closures and operational disruptions, with heatwaves identified as the most significant threat to education.
“Last year, severe weather kept one in seven students out of class, putting their health and safety at risk and jeopardizing their long-term education,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
Countries most impacted by climate-related school disruptions included Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Mozambique, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
The analysis revealed that 74% of affected students were from low- and lower-middle-income countries, although no region was immune to the consequences of extreme climate events.
South Asia was the hardest-hit region, with 128 million students affected. In East Asia and the Pacific, 50 million students faced disruptions, while Africa experienced significant challenges linked to the El Niño climate phenomenon, including flooding in East Africa and severe droughts in parts of southern Africa.
In Europe, heavy rains and floods interrupted schooling for over 900,000 students in Italy in September, while floods in Spain in October impacted 13,000 children and teenagers.
“Education is one of the services most frequently disrupted by climate hazards,” Russell noted. “Yet it’s often overlooked in policy discussions, despite its critical role in preparing children for climate adaptation.”
She emphasized, “Children’s futures must be prioritized in all climate-related policies and actions.”
Meanwhile: To promote gender and disability inclusion in Nigeria’s electoral process, the European Union Support to Democratic Governance Programme (EU-SDGN) has facilitated the training of desk officers at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
A statement released by the EU-SDGN’s public affairs office on Friday highlighted that the training aimed to develop a comprehensive manual for INEC's inclusivity officers, equipping them with the necessary tools to address and manage gender and disability-related challenges during elections. Continue reading....
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