New York, November 8 (BNA): More than 420,000 children in three countries in the Amazon region are currently affected by severe water scarcity and drought, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported.
UNICEF said the ongoing drought since last year has plunged rivers in the Amazon basin to record lows, severely impacting children and communities along rivers and indigenous communities in Brazil, Colombia and Peru.
In Brazil’s Amazon region alone, more than 1,700 schools and 760 health centers have been closed or inaccessible due to declining water levels, the report said. In Colombia, river levels have fallen by up to 80%, limiting access to drinking water and food supplies and leading to the closure of more than 130 schools.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell highlighted the destruction of this vital ecosystem, which has left many children without adequate access to food, water, health care and education. She emphasized the need to mitigate the effects of the severe climate crisis to protect today’s children and future generations.
Experts link these conditions to the El Niño weather phenomenon and climate change.
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