The lives of over 23 million children across East Asia and Pacific will be at risk as 2024 is expected to be the hottest year on record with climatic extremes and increased greenhouse gas emissions.
Several nations in the region are now facing extreme heat as summer arrives, with temperatures approaching record levels, often exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.
South Asia is no better. Mrutyunjay Mahapatra, director general of the IMD, recently said that most states will see above-normal temperatures between April and June.
During a recent press conference Union Minister Kiren Rjiju said India was "rapidly witnessing" extreme weather phenomena.
Schools in the Philippines cancelled in-person courses in April with local weather offices forecasting warnings that temperatures would reach "danger" levels of 42 or 43 degrees Celsius in parts of the country.
Earlier this week, temperatures of 43.5C were recorded in Thailand's northern province of Mae Hong Son, falling just short of the record of 44.6C.
The Thai Ministry of Health reports that around “40 persons die each year as a result of heat-related ailments.”
According to UNICEF research, “children are more vulnerable than adults because they are unable to control their body temperature.”
"Excess heat is a potentially lethal threat to them," said Debora Comini, Director of UNICEF’s Regional Office for East Asia and the Pacific.
Heatwaves and high humidity levels typical in the region can be dangerous since the heat hinders the body's natural cooling mechanisms.
It is necessary to be on high alert this summer to protect children and vulnerable communities from heat waves and climate shocks, Comini warned.
The United Nations estimates that over two billion children will be exposed to heatwaves by 2050.
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