At least 187,000 children in Kenya displaced by climate-induced disasters

The number reported in 2022 were an increase from 27,000 children that were displaced by similar crises in 2021.  

Data from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre,  which focused on Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit and Turkana counties showed that some of the children were displaced multiple times, while others were forced to live in camps and temporary arrangements.

According to Yvonne Arunga, Save the Children’s Country Director for Kenya, the impact of climate shocks on children is very worrying because when they lose their homes, they lose almost everything.

“They lose their access to healthcare, education, food, and safety. They also lose the building blocks for mental and emotional stability and wellbeing, like a sense of routine, their friends, and the right to play,” said Arunga

The number of new internal displacements due to such disasters across sub-Saharan Africa in 2022  was three times higher than the previous year, with 7.4 million new displacements during 2022 compared to 2.6 million in 2021.

The figures count the times people were displaced – sometimes multiple times for one individual – even if they were able to return home by the end of the year.

“These figures are enough to bring anyone to a standstill and hopefully will spur leaders at Africa Climate Week to wake up to the experiences of children across the region, acknowledge that the climate crisis is having a disastrous impact on their lives, and act urgently to factor in children’s needs and rights into the much-needed response,” Arunga. 

According to a report by the Children’s Environmental Rights Initiative, Save

the Children and partners, just 2.4% of key global climate funds can be classified as supporting child-responsive activities, despite more than a billion children being at extremely high risk of the impacts of the climate crisis.

"We need to urgently scale up climate finance and support adaptation measures that protect children from the worst effects of climate change. We must also ensure that children have access to essential services such as education and healthcare, regardless of their displacement status,” explained Arunga.