A recent Unicef report has unveiled that Bangladesh secures the fourth position globally in terms of the highest number of children displaced by various natural disasters from 2016 to 2021.
The Unicef report categorizes natural disasters as phenomena including floods, storms, droughts, and fires.
Between 2016 and 2021, an estimated 43.1 million children worldwide experienced displacement due to natural disasters. Out of this staggering figure, 22.1 million were displaced by storms, 19.7 million by floods, 1.3 million by droughts, and 810,000 by fires.
Within the East Asia and Pacific region, a significant 44% of the total displaced children, equivalent to 19 million, were recorded over the five years. Meanwhile, South Asia accounted for 26% of displaced children.
Breaking down the regional figures, the Philippines claimed the highest number of displacements in Asia, reaching 9.7 million. Following closely are India and China with 6.7 million and 6.4 million displaced children, respectively.
Bangladesh secured the fourth position on the global list, reporting a total of 3.3 million children displaced. Floods accounted for 950,000 of these displacements, while storms led to 2.3 million children being uprooted.
The remaining six countries on this concerning list are Somalia, the US, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cuba.
This report underscores the urgent need for comprehensive disaster preparedness and mitigation strategies to safeguard the well-being of children in the face of escalating natural disasters.
