UNICEF: Girls Worst Hit by Climate Shocks on Schools

UNICEF logo at the organization's headquarters in Geneva (Reuters)
UNICEF logo at the organization's headquarters in Geneva (Reuters)
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UNICEF: Girls Worst Hit by Climate Shocks on Schools

UNICEF logo at the organization's headquarters in Geneva (Reuters)
UNICEF logo at the organization's headquarters in Geneva (Reuters)

Girls are at greater risk of dropping out of education when their schools are hit by heatwaves, storms or wildfires linked to climate change, the UN children's agency said on Thursday.

Unicef analysis suggested that one in 10 or more than 171 million students in 106 countries or territories had their education disrupted by extreme weather last year.

But the agency said girls were worst affected when schools were damaged, classes cancelled or education switched online.

"Girls are at greater risk of dropping out when climate hazards disrupt or close schools," it said.

"Damage to schools and sanitation facilities, displacement and lost family income can place additional caregiving and water-collection responsibilities on girls, said AFP.

"These pressures can also increase the risk of child marriage, making it more difficult for girls to return to class when schools reopen."

According to the analysis, storms were the most common cause of disruption and last year affected 109 million students around the world.

Floods hit at least 70 million while heatwaves disrupted schooling for some 50 million youngsters.

The overall figures for 2025 are down on analysis of the previous year, in which Unicef said nearly 250 million children in 85 countries -- one in seven -- were affected by climate hazards.

The agency said it had changed its methodology, basing its analysis on information from aid agencies and local media rather than government figures.

Unicef said about one billion or about half the world's children live in countries at very high risk of climate and environmental shocks.

Lost learning and the effects on literacy and numeracy could lead to lifetime income losses of at least $200 billion and worsen global inequalities, it estimated.

Most of the children come from low- and lower-middle income countries "where education systems often lack the resources needed to safeguard learning during climate-related emergencies", the study said.

Unicef urged governments and their partners to spend more on building new educational facilities to withstand climate and environmental hazards.



Hurricane Simon Expected to Become Major Hurricane off Mexico Coast

A member of the Mexican Army stands on the Malecon waterfront during the implementation of Plan DN-III-E, a disaster relief plan, as waves crash ashore ahead of Hurricane Simon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, October 10, 2026. REUTERS/Christian Ruano
A member of the Mexican Army stands on the Malecon waterfront during the implementation of Plan DN-III-E, a disaster relief plan, as waves crash ashore ahead of Hurricane Simon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, October 10, 2026. REUTERS/Christian Ruano
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Hurricane Simon Expected to Become Major Hurricane off Mexico Coast

A member of the Mexican Army stands on the Malecon waterfront during the implementation of Plan DN-III-E, a disaster relief plan, as waves crash ashore ahead of Hurricane Simon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, October 10, 2026. REUTERS/Christian Ruano
A member of the Mexican Army stands on the Malecon waterfront during the implementation of Plan DN-III-E, a disaster relief plan, as waves crash ashore ahead of Hurricane Simon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, October 10, 2026. REUTERS/Christian Ruano

Hurricane Simon is expected to become a major hurricane on Sunday near ‌the ‌west-central coast ‌of Mexico ⁠and move very close ⁠to the coast on Monday, ⁠the US National ‌Hurricane Center ‌said.

Simon was ‌located ‌about 60 miles (96.56 km) west-southwest of Manzanillo, ‌Mexico, early Sunday morning, ⁠packing ⁠maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, NHC said in its latest update.


Russia Says It Has Captured Four Settlements in Ukraine

FILE PHOTO: Smoke billows from Yandex's Sasovo hub, one of the company's five large data centers, after a fire following a drone strike forced the suspension of operations at the site, which hosts tens of thousands of servers, Sasovo, Russia, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video on October 8, 2026. SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS.
FILE PHOTO: Smoke billows from Yandex's Sasovo hub, one of the company's five large data centers, after a fire following a drone strike forced the suspension of operations at the site, which hosts tens of thousands of servers, Sasovo, Russia, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video on October 8, 2026. SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS.
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Russia Says It Has Captured Four Settlements in Ukraine

FILE PHOTO: Smoke billows from Yandex's Sasovo hub, one of the company's five large data centers, after a fire following a drone strike forced the suspension of operations at the site, which hosts tens of thousands of servers, Sasovo, Russia, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video on October 8, 2026. SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS.
FILE PHOTO: Smoke billows from Yandex's Sasovo hub, one of the company's five large data centers, after a fire following a drone strike forced the suspension of operations at the site, which hosts tens of thousands of servers, Sasovo, Russia, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video on October 8, 2026. SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS.

The Russian defense ministry said on Sunday ‌that ‌Russian troops ‌had ⁠captured the villages of Kupyne ⁠and Riznykove in ⁠Ukraine's ‌Kharkiv region, ‌as well ‌as Novotroitske ‌and Davydovske in the ‌Donetsk region, news ⁠agency Interfax reported.

Reuters ⁠could not immediately verify the battlefield reports.


109 Migrants Dead, 116 Missing after Boat Capsizes off Djibouti, Says UN

Migrants give signals to NGO Proactiva Open Arms Uno rescue boat in central Mediterranean Sea, August 17, 2022. (Reuters)
Migrants give signals to NGO Proactiva Open Arms Uno rescue boat in central Mediterranean Sea, August 17, 2022. (Reuters)
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109 Migrants Dead, 116 Missing after Boat Capsizes off Djibouti, Says UN

Migrants give signals to NGO Proactiva Open Arms Uno rescue boat in central Mediterranean Sea, August 17, 2022. (Reuters)
Migrants give signals to NGO Proactiva Open Arms Uno rescue boat in central Mediterranean Sea, August 17, 2022. (Reuters)

At least 109 migrants were killed, including 15 children, and some 116 were missing after a boat sank off the shores of Djibouti overnight on October 8-9, a UN agency said Sunday.

Survivors said the vessel -- which was carrying 350 people from Djibouti to Yemen -- capsized north of the Djibouti town of Obock, according to a statement from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), whose teams are on the ground alongside local authorities to provide emergency aid.