Over 24 crore children across East Asia and the Pacific at risk due to heatwave, says UN
Children are more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses as they are less able to regulate their body temperature than adults.
More than 243 million children across East Asia and the Pacific are at risk of heat-related illnesses and death, as the region braces for a summer with record heat in the coming months, according to a United Nations agency.
“Children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of climate change, and excess heat is a potentially lethal threat to them. We must be on high alert this summer to protect children and vulnerable communities from worsening heat waves and other climate shocks,” Debora Comini, director of Unicef’s regional office for East Asia and Pacific, said in a statement on Thursday.
According to the UNICEF, children are more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses such as chronic respiratory conditions, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases as they are less able to regulate their body temperature than adults.
The UNICEF's warning comes amid reports that March was the 10th consecutive month of record-breaking heat, with populations across much of the northern and southern hemispheres facing temperatures beyond climate targets.
According to UNICEF’s projections, all of the world’s two billion children are expected to be exposed to high heat wave frequency by 2050, regardless of its greenhouse gas emission scenarios.
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Situation in Southeast Asia
Some Southeast Asian countries have issued advisories over concerns about extreme heat. Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health urged people to take precautions against heatstrokes after two deaths were reported this week.
In the Philippines, due to extreme heat, in-person classes were suspended in some cities across the country and replaced with ways of remote learning. The Philippines’ weather agency warned earlier this year that 2024 may be one of the warmest years on record for the country.
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What UNICEF said on the precautions
UNICEF has urged parents and guardians to create cooler places for children to play at home and schools so that they can avoid being outdoors. It has asked them to ensure that the children wear breathable clothing to help with heat regulation.
Children displaying symptoms of heat stress should be hospitalised, the agency added.
(With inputs from news agencies)