Extreme weather caused significant disruptions to education worldwide in 2024, with around 242 million students in 85 countries missing lessons due to heatwaves, storms, floods and droughts, UNICEF said on Thursday.

UNICEF’s analysis highlighted the impact of “extreme climate events” on school closures and operational disruptions, identifying heatwaves as the most severe threat to education.

“Last year, severe weather kept one in seven students out of class, threatening their health and safety and impacting their long-term education,” said UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell.

Countries most affected by climate-related school interruptions included Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Mozambique, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

According to the analysis, 74 per cent of affected students lived in low- and lower-middle-income countries, although no region was spared from the impact of extreme climate events.

South Asia was the hardest-hit region, with 128 million students affected.

In East Asia and the Pacific region, 50 million students faced disruptions, while Africa endured devastating consequences linked to the El Niño climate phenomenon, including floods in East Africa and severe droughts in parts of southern Africa.

In Europe, torrential rains and floods disrupted lessons for over 900,000 students in Italy in September, while October floods affected 13,000 children and teenagers in Spain, according to UNICEF.

“Education is one of the services most frequently disrupted due to climate hazards. Yet it is often overlooked in policy discussions, in spite of its role in preparing children for climate adaptation,” Ms Russell said. “Children’s futures must be at the forefront of all climate-related plans and actions.”

(dpa /NAN)