Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. THE United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) has revealed that nearly 94 million children across the region are grappling with multifaceted crises, driven mainly by climate change.
In response, a senior official has urgently called on Southern African Development Community (Sadc) member States to invest in every sector through a “resilience lens”.
The remarks were delivered by Unicef deputy regional director Alison Parker during the International Organisation for Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa in Victoria Falls.
Parker emphasised that climate crisis is rapidly evolving into a child-rights crisis, with migration being one of its most visible symptoms.
“We set out to understand the realities facing children on the move and to define what protection looks like in a region on the frontline of climate and economic shocks,” she said.
“According to Unicef, today nearly 94 million children face multifaceted crises.”
Furthermore, UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs estimate that under a worst-case scenario, climate change can push up to 158 million more women and girls into poverty globally by 2050.
Parker also noted that women and children are approximately 14 times more likely than men to die in climate-fuelled disasters such as cyclones, floods and typhoons.
She stressed that the region’s migration narrative is intrinsically linked to its story of resilience.
She outlined key priorities, including the need for robust data systems, coherent legal frameworks that protect migrants and cross-border coordination to ensure a child’s safety from their point of origin, through transit, to their final destination.
Parker argued that climate-resilient investment should become central to government planning and budgeting to address the crises.
“If Africa is to achieve the SDGs and the aspirations of Agenda 2063, we must start investing in every sector through a resilience lens.
“In 2024 alone, African governments spent nearly US$180 billion on health and education — almost half a billion dollars every single day.
“Yet too often, these investments fail to withstand the shocks of the climate crisis and children are the ones paying the price.”
She said such investments saved lives, safeguarded development progress and reduced long-term costs.
Parker paid tribute to the frontline workforce, describing it as the essential individuals who bring these critical commitments to life.
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