Girls worst hit by climate shocks on schools, says Unicef

Unicef has revealed that girls are disproportionately affected by climate-related disruptions to education, with the agency estimating that more than 171 million students in 106 countries have faced school closures or online learning due to extreme weather events in 2025. Girls are particularly vulnerable when schools are damaged, classes are cancelled, or education shifts online.

The analysis suggests that girls are more likely to drop out of school and face challenges such as increased caregiving responsibilities, water collection duties, and heightened risk of child marriage when climate hazards disrupt their education. Storms, floods, and heatwaves were the most common causes of school disruptions, affecting 109 million, 70 million, and 50 million students, respectively, last year.

Unicef's findings, based on data from aid agencies and local media, indicate that one billion children worldwide, or about half of all children, reside in countries at high risk of climate and environmental shocks. The agency warns that lost learning and potential drops in literacy and numeracy could result in lifetime income losses of up to $200 billion and exacerbate global inequalities, particularly in low- and lower-middle-income countries where educational systems are ill-equipped to handle climate-related emergencies.

Unicef calls on governments to invest in climate-resilient educational infrastructure to mitigate these risks.