Nearly a third of all the world’s children were exposed to extreme heat in 2024 as a result of the climate change crisis, according to a shocking new report.
A record 711 million youngsters endured soaring temperatures, the highest number recorded since the start of international climate negotiations in 1992, according to analysis by Save the Children. Extreme heat between January and September affected almost twice as many children globally as in the whole of 2023, when 376 million were exposed.
Children are experiencing more intense and frequent heatwaves because of the climate crisis, putting their health and well-being at risk, the aid agency said with the United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP29, underway in the capital of Azerbaijan.
Extreme heatwaves in South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific regions accounted for more than half the global figures.
Save the Children analysed satellite imagery of surface temperatures covering every part of the world. The aid agency defined an extreme heatwave as three consecutive days experiencing a temperature in the top 1% of all those recorded in that location in the previous 30 years.
Such extreme weather conditions are leading to an increase in child hospitalisations, respiratory conditions like asthma, in addition to impacting mental health and overall development. Heatwaves are also increasing inequalities and food insecurity. In conflict-zones, the compounding effects of heatwaves and humanitarian crises further endanger children already facing precarious circumstances. They also disrupt education through school closures and decreased learning. In April and May, more than 210 million children missed out on school days due to extreme heat.
Sameer, 13, from Pakistan’s Sindh province, which recorded 52°C in May, said: “We get heat stroke and the children faint. One of my friends, Yasir, collapsed. He got a sudden fever and began to vomit. Then he was quickly taken to the hospital. Because of the intense heat, children get bouts of vomiting, fevers, and dizziness. I have become dizzy several times while sitting at my desk.”
Sameer attends a Save the Children Child-Friendly Space, which provides critical support during extreme weather events, offering a safe environment to escape the harsh conditions. The centre also delivers sessions on how to stay safe during the heatwaves along with educational programs.
Shruti Agarwal, Senior Adviser on Climate Change and Sustainable Economies at Save the Children UK, said: “When nearly a third of the world’s children are exposed to heatwaves, it’s not just a record, but a catastrophe. This is no longer about discomfort, we’re talking about a threat to children’s survival, their education, their future.
“What we are seeing is an alarming trend where heatwaves are becoming more frequent, more severe and longer-lasting, hitting children most impacted by inequality and discrimination the hardest. These heatwaves are not just a weather phenomenon – they’re a bleak indicator of our planet’s health.”
In 2022, the UK experienced its hottest day on record, with temperatures reaching 40.3°C in July. In the same year, almost half of all children in the UK were affected by heatwaves, the second largest proportion in Western Europe that year and the UK’s highest in the last 15 years. In 2023, the proportion fell to 28.7%.
As temperatures across the world increase, heatwaves are growing in both frequency and intensity. July 2024 illustrated this alarming trend with extreme temperatures across Europe, Africa and Asia, triggering severe consequences including wildfires, and exacerbating droughts and health risks.
With COP 29 starting in Baku, the aid agency is calling on world leaders to take bold action to protect children from heatwaves.
