Heatwaves, cyclones, and other extreme weather conditions caused at least 242 million children in 85 different countries to miss school in 2024. Particularly hard hit were poor countries in Asia and Africa south of the Sahara.
But even in southern Europe, extreme weather had catastrophic consequences during the year. Heavy rainfall and flooding in Italy disrupted schooling for more than 900,000 children, while thousands missed school in Spain after the catastrophic flooding that hit the country in the autumn.
The dominant climate threat to children's schooling during the year was, however, heatwaves, according to Unicef. More than 118 million children missed school alone in April, when large parts of the Middle East and Asia were hit by a week-long heatwave with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees.
Children are more vulnerable to the effects of weather-related crises, emphasizes Unicef chief Catherine Russell in a statement.
"Children's bodies are uniquely vulnerable. They warm up faster, sweat less effectively, and cool down more slowly than adults," says Russell.
"Children cannot concentrate in classrooms that do not offer any respite from suffocating heat, and they cannot get to school if the path is flooded or if schools are washed away."
Around 74 percent of the children affected in 2024 lived in middle- and low-income countries.
According to Unicef, schools and education systems worldwide are largely ill-equipped to handle the effects of extreme weather.
