INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
At least 242 million students in 85 countries had their schooling disrupted by extreme climate events in 2024, including heatwaves, tropical
cyclones, storms, floods, and droughts, the UN children&s agency UNICEF said on Friday.Education in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Mozambique,
Pakistan and the Philippines was most severely affected by heatwaves, cyclones, floods and storms, UNICEF said in a statement.&Children are
more vulnerable to the impacts of weather-related crises, including stronger and more frequent heatwaves, storms, droughts and flooding,&
said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell
&Children&s bodies are uniquely vulnerable
They heat up faster, they sweat less efficiently, and cool down more slowly than adults.&&Children cannot concentrate in classrooms that
offer no respite from sweltering heat, and they cannot get to school if the path is flooded, or if schools are washed away
Last year, severe weather kept one in seven students out of class, threatening their health and safety, and impacting their long-term
education.&in Afghanistan, in addition to heatwaves, the country experienced severe flash floods that damaged or destroyed over 110 schools
in May, disrupting education for thousands of students, UNICEF said.South Asia was the most affected region with 128 million students facing
climate-related school disruptions last year, according to UNICEF.The post UNICEF: 242 million children&s schooling disrupted by climate
crises in 85 countries last year first appeared on Ariana News.
