October 13, 2024
Empowering the next generation for a resilient future
The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2024 focuses on the role of education in protecting and empowering children for a disaster-free future.
Many disasters, often worsened by climate change, pose significant threats to the well-being of children and youth. UNICEF reports that around one billion children worldwide are at extremely high risk due to climate impacts and related disasters. In 2022, the number of children affected by flooding in Chad, Gambia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh was the highest in over 30 years. In addition to the risk of death and injury, children face further challenges in the form of disruptions in schooling, nutrition, healthcare, and protection issues in the aftermath of a disaster.
To protect children from disasters, countries need to consider their vulnerabilities and requirements when developing national and local disaster risk reduction strategies. It is equally important to empower children and youth and provide them with the opportunity to contribute to disaster risk reduction, as outlined in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
Empowering children, particularly through education, can equip them to protect themselves and become agents of change in their families and communities by sharing what they have learned. This is especially relevant in the context of the global effort to expand early warning systems under the UN Secretary-General’s Early Warnings for All initiative. (United Nations)
Add to the above list, Hurricanes Helene and Milton that have impacted the east coast of North America in the last month. It's clear that developed and developing nations are not immune from the risks of natural disasters.
For more details please follow the link below: United Nations
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