Uswah Zahid, Jadetimes Contributor
U. Zahid is a Jadetimes contributor covering Politics and Sports.
Demographic change, climate crisis, and technologies pose a significant threat to the future of children if urgent steps are not taken, warned the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) on Wednesday in its annual flagship report.
The report, which was released by the agency on World Children's Day today, projects that these three major global forces will impact children’s lives by 2050 and beyond.
The day is celebrated on November 20 each year to promote international togetherness, and awareness among children worldwide, and to improve children's welfare.
"Children are experiencing a myriad of crises, from climate shocks to online dangers, and these are set to intensify in the years to come,” Unicef Executive Director Catherine Russel wrote in a statement in the report.
"Creating a better future in 2050 requires more than just imagination, it requires action. Decades of progress, particularly for girls, are under threat.”
The first threat is climate change. The report projects that these crises are expected to increase with eight times as many children exposed to extreme heatwaves, three times as many exposed to extreme river floods, and nearly twice as many exposed to extreme wildfires, compared to the 2000s.
The second risk is demographic change with poor nations like Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia projected to have the largest child populations while some nations are expected to face a decline in the population.
According to the report, about 95% of people living in the high-income countries have easy access to the internet in 2024 as compared to the 26% living in the low-income nations.
The third threat is technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI). The report notes that children living in low-and middle-income countries face difficulty accessing digital skills. This will impact their ability to effectively and responsibly use digital tools in education and future workplaces.
The report focuses on three things to meet the challenges.
Investing in education, services, and sustainable and resilient cities for children.
Expanding climate resilience in infrastructure, technology, essential services and social support systems.
Delivering connectivity and safe technology design for all children.
“World Children’s Day is a moment for leaders to demonstrate their commitment to the rights and wellbeing of every child,” said Russell. “We can shape a better future for tomorrow’s children, and we have to get started today.”
