UNICEF reports over 1 billion children face three climate threats

UNICEF’s 2026 Children’s Climate Risk Report finds that about 1.1 billion children – roughly half of the world’s youth – are exposed to at least three concurrent climate hazards. The most common combination is extreme heat, water insecurity and food shortages, affecting 820 million, 600 million and 150 million children respectively. The report highlights sub‑Saharan Africa and South Asia as the regions with the greatest share of children at risk, accounting for about 70 % of those exposed to multiple threats.

Country‑level data show that Brazil alone has 16 million children facing three or more risks, while Italy, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan and Portugal also have millions of children confronting overlapping hazards such as heatwaves, droughts, floods and storms. In Papua‑New Guinea, the loss of a bridge has forced children to cross dangerous rivers, illustrating how climate impacts directly disrupt education and safety. UNICEF calls for urgent emission reductions, climate‑adaptation measures and stronger public services to protect children’s health, education and survival worldwide.