Almost 500 million children, mainly in West and Central Africa, spend more than half the year in temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday.
According to a new UNICEF analysis, one in five children, or 466 million, lives in areas that experience at least double the number of extremely hot days every year compared to just six decades ago.
"Children are not little adults," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. "Their bodies are far more vulnerable to extreme heat. Young bodies heat up faster, and cool down more slowly. Extreme heat is especially risky for babies due to their faster heart rate, so rising temperatures are even more alarming for children."
She said that governments must act to get rising temperatures under control. As governments are currently drafting their national climate action plans, they can do so with the ambition and knowledge that today's children and future generations will have to live in the world they leave behind.
Children cool off in a pond during hot weather in Siby region of Mali, July 12, 2022. /CFP
In the analysis, the 1960s were compared with a 2020–2024 average. The results provided a stark warning about the speed and scale at which extremely hot days, measured at more than 35 degrees Celsius, are increasing for almost 500 million children worldwide, many without the infrastructure or services to endure.
The analysis also examined country-level data and found that in 16 countries, children now experience more than a month of additional sweltering days compared to six decades ago. In South Sudan, for example, children live through a yearly average of 165 extremely hot days this decade compared to 110 days in the 1960s, while Paraguay jumped to 71 days from 36.
The analysis showed that globally, children in West and Central Africa face the highest exposure to scorching days and the most significant increases over time.
UNICEF said it meant that 123 million children, or 39 percent of children in West and Central Africa, now experience an average of more than one-third of the year, or at least 95 days, in temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius, reaching as many as 212 days in Mali, 202 days in Niger, 198 days in Senegal, and 195 days in Sudan.
The fund said that in Latin America and the Caribbean, almost 48 million children live in areas experiencing twice the number of extremely hot days.
"The hottest summer days now seem normal," said Russell. "Extreme heat is increasing, disrupting children's health, well-being, and daily routines."
UNICEF said that heat stress within the body, caused by exposure to extreme heat, poses unique threats to the health and well-being of children and pregnant women, mainly if cooling interventions are not available. It is linked to pregnancy complications such as gestational chronic diseases and adverse birth outcomes including stillbirth, low birth weight, and preterm birth.
The fund also said excess levels of heat stress contribute to child malnutrition, non-communicable diseases such as heat-related illnesses and leave children more vulnerable to infectious diseases that spread in high temperatures such as malaria and dengue. Evidence shows that it also impacts neurodevelopment, mental health, and well-being.
UNICEF called on leaders, governments and the private sector to deliver urgent and bold climate action to uphold the right of every child to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.