A harrowing new analysis by Save the Children reveals a significant 30% increase, impacting at least 12,000 lives globally in 2023 due to floods, wildfires, cyclones, storms, and landslides. The alarming statistics, derived from the EM-DAT international disaster database, underscore the escalating severity of climate-related events worldwide.
The analysis delved into 240 climate-related events, exposing a 60% rise in landslide deaths, a staggering 278% increase in wildfires, and a daunting 340% spike in storm-related fatalities between 2022 and 2023.
GLOBAL IMPACT
2023 Witnessed 60% Rise in Landslide Deaths, 278% Surge in Wildfires, and 340% Spike in Storm-Related Fatalities. The global landscape witnessed a grim transformation, with landslides, wildfires, and storms wreaking havoc. The devastating impact of Storm Daniel in Libya, leading to catastrophic floods, contributed significantly to the surge in climate-related deaths.
DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT ON LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES
Save the Children’s analysis further unveiled the disproportionate toll on low-income countries, with more than half of the victims originating from economically vulnerable nations. Shockingly, 45% of the deaths occurred in countries responsible for less than 0.1% of the world’s emissions, emphasizing the inequality in climate impacts.
Kelley Toole, Global Head of Climate Change at Save the Children, emphasized the dire situation, stating that the climate crisis disproportionately affects those least responsible and least equipped to endure its devastating effects. Toole called for a significant scale-up of climate finance, making it responsive to children’s needs, including loss and damage. The urgency of a rapid fossil fuel phase-out was highlighted as a crucial step toward a just transition.
Cataclysmic Events of 2023
The year 2023 was marred by cataclysmic climate disasters, including Cyclone Freddy’s destructive path through Madagascar, Malawi, and Mozambique, causing widespread displacement and disrupting education for hundreds of thousands of children. In Pakistan, almost 200 lives, half of them children, were lost in rain-related incidents during the monsoon season, exacerbating the challenges faced by communities still recovering from the devastating floods of 2022.
As extreme weather events intensify, Save the Children continues its global efforts, supporting communities in preventing, preparing for, adapting to, and recovering from climate disasters. The organization emphasizes the urgent need for interdisciplinary research, enhanced public health interventions, and a concerted global effort to address the escalating climate crisis.
