By: Staff Writer
June 26, 2026
In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) 141 million children are exposed to more frequent, longer and more severe heatwaves said the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in a recent report.
The report, The Children’s Climate Risk Report 2026, provides a comprehensive picture of the threats to children posed by the climate crisis and its impacts. The report uses advanced technology to map children’s exposure to the eight most frequent climate threats, including coastal floods, droughts, extreme heat, fires, heatwaves, riverine floods, sand and dust storms, and tropical storms.
“Children and adolescents carry the heaviest burden of climate hazards. Their developing bodies are more vulnerable to extreme events such as droughts, heatwaves or tropical storms, and these same events disrupt their schooling, and their families’ livelihoods,” said Roberto Benes, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Climate threats are worsening existing inequalities.”
In the region, 141 million children are exposed to more frequent, longer and more severe heatwaves, while 118 million are exposed to droughts, posing profound risks to children’s health and wellbeing and deepening poverty and economic hardships in the most vulnerable communities.
The report also said: “Children are disproportionately affected by the consequences of climate hazards, as their developing bodies make it harder for them to cope with the physical and psychological stresses. They also increasingly experience displacement and instability in the wake of climate shocks, further worsening their vulnerabilities.
“But while the climate crisis is a global phenomenon, its effects are not felt equally. Children are not a homogeneous group. They are affected in different ways and to varying degrees depending on their age, gender, disability and ethnicity (including Indigenous identity). Some children are far more exposed than others due to limited access to essential social services because of their location or socio-economic status. This leads to overlapping vulnerabilities.”
In addition to the most frequent climate hazards, the report analyses air pollution and malaria; two risks that are highly sensitive to the effects of climate change. Data show that air pollution affects nearly every child in Latin America and the Caribbean, while 24 million children are exposed to malaria, adding another layer of danger for children already facing multiple climate hazards.
“This analysis contributes to bringing new evidence to guide decision-makers in investments in making national systems more child-centered and shock-responsive – delivering sustainable, systemic change to protect the most vulnerable,” said Benes.