Nearly 250 million children missed school last year because of extreme weather, UNICEF says
Cape Town (AP): At least 242 million children in 85 countries had their schooling interrupted last year because of heatwaves, cyclones, flooding and other extreme weather, the United Nations Children's Fund said in a new report Friday.
UNICEF said it amounted to one in seven school-going children across the world being kept out of class at some point in 2024 because of climate hazards.
The report also outlined how some countries saw hundreds of their schools destroyed by weather, with low-income nations in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa hit especially hard.
But other regions weren't spared the extreme weather, as torrential rains and floods in Italy near the end of the year disrupted school for more than 900,000 children. Thousands had their classes halted after catastrophic flooding in Spain.
While southern Europe dealt with deadly floods and Asia and Africa had flooding and cyclones, heatwaves were “the predominant climate hazard shuttering schools last year,” UNICEF said, as the earth recorded its hottest year ever.
More than 118 million children had their schooling interrupted in April alone, UNICEF said, as large parts of the Middle East and Asia, from Gaza in the west to the Philippines in the southeast, experienced a sizzling weekslong heatwave with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
“Children are more vulnerable to the impacts of weather-related crises, including stronger and more frequent heatwaves, storms, droughts and flooding,” UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell said in a statement.
“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."
Around 74% of the children affected in 2024 were in middle- and low-income countries, showing how climatic extremes continue to have a devastating impact in the poorest countries. Flooding ruined more than 400 schools in Pakistan in April. Afghanistan had heatwaves followed by severe flooding that destroyed over 110 schools in May, UNICEF said.
Months of drought in southern Africa exacerbated by the El Niño weather phenomenon threatened the schooling and futures of millions of children.
And the crises showed little sign of abating. The poor French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean off Africa was left in ruins by Cyclone Chido in December and hit again by Tropical Storm Dikeledi this month, leaving children across the islands out of school for six weeks.
Cyclone Chido also destroyed more than 330 schools and three regional education departments in Mozambique on the African mainland, where access to education is already a deep problem.
UNICEF said the world's schools and education systems “are largely ill-equipped” to deal with the effects of extreme weather.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Trade deal with US compromises India's interests in agriculture sector; farmers to suffer: Kejriwal
Ahmedabad (PTI): AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday accused the Centre of "selling" India and its farmers to the US through the interim trade deal, and claimed that it is for the first time that the country's interests in the agriculture sector have been compromised in such a manner.
He expressed fear that India's exports to the US will eventually stop as our goods will become 18 per cent more expensive in that country, which will ultimately pose a big threat to the farmers.
Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann are in Gujarat to prepare groundwork for their Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the Gujarat assembly elections expected to be held in December 2027.
Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said, "For the first time, India has compromised in the agriculture sector in such a manner. In the coming days, we will see the impact of this trade deal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sold the entire country and the farmers to the United States. The country will never forgive this."
The US had imposed a reciprocal tariff of 25 per cent on India in August last year. Later, an additional 25 per cent was imposed for buying Russian crude oil, taking the total tariffs on India to 50 per cent. Earlier this month, both countries agreed to finalise an interim trade deal, under which Washington will cut down the tariffs to 18 per cent.
The US Supreme Court, however, passed a verdict against President Donald Trump's sweeping duties on several nations, following which India will now face a lower reciprocal tariff of 10 per cent. According to Trump's proclamation, the temporary import surcharge of 10 per cent is for a period of 150 days from February 24.
Dubbing the trade deal as "unfortunate", Kejriwal said Gujarat produces maize, soybean, dairy products, peanut and cotton.
"Many of these products are exported, especially to the US. In this free trade agreement, it is written that the goods we send to the US will face an 18 per cent tariff. If our goods become 18 per cent more expensive in the US, how will we remain competitive there? Our exports will eventually stop," the former Delhi chief minister said.
"On the other hand, when American cotton is sent to India, earlier there used to be significant duty on it but it has now been brought down to zero. So American cotton will come to Gujarat, and when it is sold here, our farmers will not be able to compete with it. So the cotton produced by Indian farmers will neither sell in India nor in the US," he said.
"Our farmers will suffer losses. This is the situation. Why did PM Modi make such a treaty with the USA?" he asked.
Kejriwal also criticised the annual budget presented in Gujarat recently, saying that the common man has high expectations from it because household finances depend heavily on government decisions.
People look to the budget for relief in prices and improvements in essential sectors like education and healthcare. But there is nothing in it for the common people. The budget lacks provisions of education and there is nothing for healthcare, roads, farmers, traders, women, unemployed or any section of society, he alleged.
"Elections are about one-and-a-half years away. Often it is seen that when elections approach, at least governments try to do something - give some relief so that they can get votes. But the Gujarat government is not even concerned about that," he said.
Kejriwal hit out at the opposition Congress, saying people do not want to vote in favour of that party.
"Because of that, the BJP has become arrogant - thinking that they do not need to do anything. The entire budget is only aimed at exploiting people. This budget shows their arrogance and is an insult to the people of Gujarat. But in the assembly elections, people will give their answer," the AAP leader said.
