Over 171m students face climate-related schooling disruptions in 2025: UNICEF — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): More than 171 million students globally — or one in 10 — from pre-primary to upper-secondary level had their schooling disrupted by climate hazards in 2025, UNICEF said in a new report released on Thursday. The report, titled “Learning Interrupted: Global Snapshot of Climate-Related School Disruptions in 2025,” analyses data from 106 countries and territories and says storms, floods, heatwaves, droughts and wildfires caused school closures, damage to schools, shifts to remote learning, reduced instructional time, lower attendance and increased risk of dropout. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said climate hazards not only disrupt lessons but also destroy schools, displace families and push the most vulnerable children, particularly girls, out of classrooms permanently. According to the report, storms were the most common cause of school disruptions in 2025, affecting 109 million students worldwide. Floods affected at least 70 million students, while heatwaves disrupted schooling for around 50 million children. The report said around three-quarters of affected students live in low- and lower-middle-income countries, where education systems often lack the resources needed to protect learning during climate-related emergencies. Pakistan was among the countries most affected. Severe monsoon floods in August delayed the return to school of more than 28 million students, making it one of the largest climate-related education disruptions recorded in 2025. In Egypt, a powerful Khamsin wind…