Written By | Joshua Nahamya
The environment at Kajweka camp near Kanara Sub County, Ntoroko district
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NAIROBI
UNICEF has issued an urgent call for immediate action to protect children across Eastern and Southern Africa from a predictable and rapidly escalating climate crisis, warning that more than 162 million children—representing over two-thirds of all children in the region—live in areas exposed to the impacts of the strengthening 2026/2027 El Niño phenomenon.
Intensifying drought, extreme heat and severe flooding threaten children’s nutrition, health and safety, as well as their access to safe water, sanitation and education. Current meteorological forecasts provide a narrow but critical window to act before the most devastating consequences are felt on the ground.
“The threat from El Niño is growing, and the risks for children are already clear,” warned Etleva Kadilli, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa. “Across the region, children are facing food and water insecurity, overstretched health services and disrupted learning. Further, major climate shocks will likely push children and the systems they rely on to breaking point.”
UNICEF assessments highlight overlapping risks across 13 priority countries, including Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Under worst-case scenario mapping in Somalia, flooding could directly affect up to 2.5 million people, driving widespread displacement and disrupting access to basic health and learning services.
Neema Kabazaire, 35 walking along a damaged bridge
In Ethiopia, tens of thousands of vulnerable children in food-insecure areas face heightened risks, while in South Sudan, drought, extreme heat and localised flooding threaten to compound famine risks and drive large-scale displacement.
Despite these forecasts, less than one per cent of international humanitarian assistance is currently allocated to anticipatory action, even though early intervention is essential to saving lives and protecting hard-won development gains.
Every dollar invested in disaster risk reduction can save up to $15 in future recovery costs.
Joseph Balikudembe, a UNICEF staff member crosses a threatened bridge leading to Kanara Sub County
UNICEF is therefore appealing for US$173 million within its existing 2026 Humanitarian Action for Children requirements to pre-position life-saving nutrition supplies, strengthen disease surveillance and vaccination campaigns, protect safe water systems, establish alternative learning spaces and expand shock-responsive social protection mechanisms, such as anticipatory cash assistance, across the 13 affected countries.
“We know what is coming, which children are most at risk and how to protect them,” Kadilli emphasised. “The choice is whether the world responds now or waits until the crisis escalates, and children pay an even greater price.”
Eleven-year-old Laul Marol drinks clean water from a tap stand in Cluster 1, Kiryandongo Refugee settlement
Uganda's climate adaptation measures
In Uganda, practical climate-adaptation measures demonstrate the profound impact of timely intervention.
Two new solar-hybrid piped water supply systems have eliminated exhausting three-kilometre water-collection journeys for thousands of refugees in mid-western Uganda.
Funded by the European Union’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations and implemented by UNICEF alongside the Lutheran World Federation, the three-month project has increased daily water availability from 9 litres to 20 litres per person, meeting international standards and reducing the burden on women and children.
The improved access to water has also freed up time for women and children to pursue education and economic activities, demonstrating how early investment in climate-resilient infrastructure can help protect vulnerable communities from the effects of climate shocks.
