Climate crisis drives more than 27 million children into hunger: Report

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - Save the Children unveiled a distressing analysis Wednesday that indicates extreme weather events in 2022 propelled more than 27 million children into hunger and malnutrition across countries heavily affected by the climate crisis.

"The majority of countries where weather extremes were the main driver of hunger last year were concentrated in the Horn of Africa, with Ethiopia and Somalia accounting for about half of the 27 million children," it said.

Twelve countries where weather extremes were the primary driver of hunger in 2022 were Angola, Burundi, Ethiopia, Iraq, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Pakistan, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia --based on data from the Integrated Food Security Classification, or the IPC scale -- a monitoring system for assessing hunger emergencies in 58 countries.

The report said Somalia remains at the forefront of the climate crisis, grappling with the aftermath of five consecutive failed rainy seasons. The nation is teetering on the brink as extreme weather events, particularly widespread flooding, threaten to intensify the hunger crisis this year.

In recent weeks, heavy rains and floods have uprooted 650,000 people, with half being children, it said.

Save the Children urged world leaders who will attend the UN climate change conference, COP28, in Dubai, particularly those from high-income countries and historical emitters, to take action on the climate crisis by recognizing children as key agents of change.

"Climate finance must be increased, providing funding for losses and damages and climate adaptation. Governments must work to urgently limit warming temperatures to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels," it said.