The figure is equivalent to the displacement of an average of 20,000 children a day, the UN agency said in its report Displaced Children in a Changing Climate, the first global analysis of child displacement caused by floods, storms, droughts and wildfires.

“For those forced to flee, the fear and impact can be especially devastating, with concerns about returning home, resuming school or being forced to move again,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stated.

She called for urgent actions to prepare communities, protect this group at risk of displacement and support those already uprooted.

“It is terrifying for any child when a fierce wildfire, storm or flood sweeps through their community,” she emphasized.

In terms of child displacement between 2016 and 2021, floods and storms accounted for 40.9 million, or 95 percent, while droughts caused more than 1.3 million internal displacements of children, with Somalia among the most affected countries.

On the other hand, wildfires were responsible for 810,000 child displacements, more than a third of which occurred in 2020 alone, and mainly in Canada, Israel and the United States.

In this scenario, the UNICEF urged governments and stockholders to take immediate action to protect children and young people who are vulnerable to future displacement.

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