Millons of children in Latin America at risk from El Nino: Unicef
Summary
Millions of children in Latin America face heightened risks from severe droughts, flooding and wildfires linked to a strong El Niño event. Unicef says 25.8 million children could be affected, with funding still far short of what is needed to respond.
Key Points
- Unicef says 25.8 million children in Latin America, or one in seven, face growing risks from droughts and flooding caused by an historic El Niño.
- Central America is seeing drought-driven harvest losses that could worsen malnutrition and reduce access to food and safe water.
- Parts of Bolivia, Colombia, Chile and Venezuela face higher wildfire risk, while flooding threatens schools and health infrastructure in Mexico and South America.
- Unicef has requested $53.8 million for El Niño emergencies in Latin America but has raised only about half so far.
