When climate disaster hits schools, girls are the first to fall behind

PARIS, France - A UN children’s agency report revealed on Thursday that girls are disproportionately impacted by climate-related school disruptions, with one in ten or over 171 million students worldwide having their education affected by extreme weather events last year. While 109 million students were disrupted by storms, floods affected at least 70 million, and heatwaves disrupted schooling for 50 million youngsters.

The increased risk of dropping out is primarily due to damage to schools and sanitation facilities, displacement, and lost family income, which burden girls with additional caregiving and water-collection responsibilities, potentially leading to child marriage. This, in turn, makes it more challenging for girls to return to school once it reopens.

The overall figures for 2025 are lower than the previous year's analysis, where nearly 250 million children in 85 countries were affected. Unicef changed its methodology, relying on information from aid agencies and local media instead of government figures. The agency estimates that the lost learning and impact on literacy and numeracy could result in lifetime income losses of at least US$200 billion for affected children, especially those from low- and lower-middle-income countries where educational systems are less equipped to handle climate-related emergencies.

Unicef called for increased spending by governments and partners on constructing new educational facilities capable of withstanding climate and environmental hazards.