The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says that most children in South Asian countries, including Afghanistan, are exposed to extreme heat.
On Monday, August 7, UNICEF’s South Asia Department announced that about 460 million children in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives and Pakistan are at very high risk of the effects of climate change.
According to the findings of this international organization, three out of every four children in South Asia are exposed to very high temperatures.
In addition, the data shows that 28% of children across South Asia are exposed to a 4.5 degree increase in heat waves per year.
July was the hottest month on record globally, raising further concerns about a future in which children, including those living in South Asia, will face successive and more intense heat waves.
Based on UNICEF information, Pakistan’s southern Sindh province, especially Yakubabad, was the hottest city in the world in 2022, with such heat that has put the lives of about 1.8 million people at risk.
In Afghanistan as well, dozens of children went to hospitals due to heatstroke in July and August.
