UNICEF warns UK aid cuts overlook climate
UNICEF analysis shows UK aid cuts disproportionately affect countries where most children face multiple climate hazards.
UK aid cuts mean children facing the biggest climate challenges are falling "through the cracks" of the UK's development agenda, the United Nations has warned. A new UNICEF analysis, shared with The Independent, plots planned UK aid reductions against climate hazard data for 1.1 billion children globally.
Five countries are set for UK aid cuts of 49 per cent or more over the next three years. In these nations, over 59 per cent of children are exposed to three or more climate hazards like droughts, extreme heat, cyclones, and floods.
Aid cuts and climate hazards
Among 28 countries facing UK aid reductions of 30 per cent or more, the overlap with child climate vulnerability is stark. In 23 of these countries, more than half of all children are exposed to droughts. In 12 countries, over 50 per cent of children face extreme heat. These risks are seen as particularly severe for developing countries in Africa.
Débora Leão, a senior policy advisor at UNICEF UK, stated the core problem. "Many children most at risk from climate impacts are falling through the cracks of the UK’s development agenda, because they're not considered a priority under the decision to prioritise fragile and conflict-affected countries," she said.
She explained the compounding nature of climate risks. A drought can increase child malnutrition or spread disease. A subsequent cyclone or flood then leaves children with diminishing capacity to cope.
Spotlight on Nigeria
Nigeria exemplifies the crisis. It faces a 50 per cent cut in UK aid while its children endure severe climate exposures. UNICEF's data reveals the scale.
| Climate Hazard | Number of Nigerian Children Exposed |
|---|---|
| Three or more hazards | Nearly 89 million |
| Extreme heat | Around 100.8 million |
| Heatwaves | 95.4 million |
| Drought | 111.6 million |
Judith Leveillee, chief of field for UNICEF Nigeria, described the real-world impacts. "Climate change is real and is impacting everything in Nigeria," she told The Independent. She noted that climate shocks can trigger conflict over resources like wood, water, food, or land.
The social consequences are severe. During droughts, girls may be forced into marriage as a coping mechanism. Boys are often pulled from school to work or migrate. Leveillee highlighted a positive UK-funded programme in Nigeria called Climate Resilience Infrastructures for Basic Services (CRIBS), which runs until 2028. It involves rehabilitating schools and health centres with cooling and renewable power. "If you solarise a health centre, you can triple attendance," she said.
Campaign for change
UNICEF UK is preparing to launch a campaign in September called 'No Choice But Childhood'. It will call for at least 25 per cent of UK aid to be allocated to child-focused programmes. The campaign launches amid troubling global statistics: 60 per cent of children live in extreme poverty and 45 million children under five are severely acutely malnourished.
Lucy Gordon, head of international policy at UNICEF UK, argued for a shift in focus. "Children are not a top priority for the British Government in its international work right now," she said. She called for funding for crucial but unglamorous interventions like vaccinations and education.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office defended the government's record. They stated over 70 per cent of UK geographic support goes to the most fragile and conflict-affected states and that children remain a priority across programmes tackling malnutrition, education, and the climate crisis.
Aid agencies express additional concern for the next 18 months due to the ongoing "super" El Niño climate event. It is expected to bring severe rainfall to Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, while Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar face intense droughts.
