UNICEF SAYS CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS CHILD GROWTH

 

BY GRACE MACHA IN ARUSHA 

Climate change, a phenomenon associated with global warming, is another burden to child growth.

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) says climate hazards have to be addressed squarely in order to mitigate impact on the kids.

"Welfare of our kids partly depends on the way we address the climate hazards" said, the UNICEF country director Elke Wisch.

She made the appeal in Arusha last week during the climax of the International Day of Child Rights.

She said climate-related risks facing the children have triggered natural disasters, compounding the situation.

Ms Wisch, who was posted to Tanzania recently, said the country was among those whose kids are impacted by climate-related hazards.

According to her, those most affected are children aged below 10 years, adding that one way to safeguard them was through improved nutrition. 

She also spoke about the children's rights, saying it was another challenge that must be addressed by the policy makers.

She cited rights to health, education, nutrition and physical protection as among the rights children deserve.

She lauded Tanzania for being among the African countries spearheading the children rights for their development.

"After going through child development reports and visiting projects, I have realized that Tanzania is a step ahead in promoting child rights", she said.

Ms Wisch added that Tanzania was equally ahead of many countries in the continent in climate change mitigation projects.

She,however, appealed to the government to invest in child development projects to improve their welfare and protection from a litany of hazards. 

She told a gathering at Mt. Meru Hotel that climate change was a matter of concern for UNICEF and the United Nations in general.

She pledged UNICEF's commitment to support Tanzania in addressing the impact of climate change to the environment and to the children. 

She called for full participation of the civil society organizations (CSOs) in the  climate change mitigation drive.

The Minister of State in the Vice President's Office (Environment) Selemani Jafo, saying climate change was a matter of concern for all nations.

He cited sea level rising which has brought several islands in Tanzania and elsewhere in the world under water.

In recent weeks, several countries in eastern Africa have been subjected to floods, threatening the lives of children going to school and other people.

The minister said Tanzania has a clear policy that promotes the welfare and protection of children from health, nutrition and environmental hazards.

 According to a report released by UNICEF in September this year, children in Africa are among the most at risk of the impacts of climate change.

They are woefully neglected by the key climate financing flows required to help them adapt, survive and respond to the climate crisis.

The report says children in 48 out of 49 African countries assessed, are categorized as at high or extremely high risk of the impacts of climate change. 

The analysis assesses countries based on children’s exposure to climate and environmental shocks, such as cyclones and heatwaves, as well as their vulnerability to those shocks, based on their access to essential services.

Children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of climate and environmental shocks and stresses.

They are physically less able to withstand and survive hazards such as floods, droughts, storms and heatwaves and are physiologically more vulnerable to toxic substances such as lead and other forms of pollution.