Heatwaves May Put Millions Of Children In Asia At Risk — UN Warns

Global environmental monitors have raised concerns that 2024 could become the hottest year ever recorded.

Naija News reports that this unprecedented rise in temperatures is likely to result in a series of climate extremes and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

According to reports, over 243 million children in the Pacific and East Asia are at heightened risk of suffering from heat-related illnesses or even facing mortality.

Numerous countries within these regions are currently grappling with soaring temperatures, nearing record highs of over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), and there’s an imminent threat of even higher temperatures in the near future.

This extreme heat has led to the suspension of in-person classes in some schools in the Philippines, where forecasters have warned that temperatures could potentially reach a “danger” level of 42 or 43 degrees Celsius in certain areas.

Thailand has reported temperatures reaching 43.5 degrees Celsius in Mae Hong Son province, alarmingly close to the country’s all-time high of 44.6 degrees Celsius.

According to the Thai Ministry of Health, around 40 individuals succumb to heat-related illnesses each year.

Similarly, Vietnam experienced an unusual heatwave in February, with temperatures hitting 38 degrees Celsius in its southern regions, known as the “rice bowl.”

UNICEF has highlighted that children are particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change, more so than adults, due to their inability to regulate body temperatures effectively.

The director of UNICEF Regional Office for East Asia and the Pacific, Debora Comini, stated, “Children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of climate change, and excess heat is a potentially lethal threat to them.”

Comini emphasized the urgent need for heightened vigilance this summer to safeguard children and other vulnerable groups from the escalating impact of heat waves and other climate-related disasters.