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1.1 billion children exposed to climate threats – UNICEF report
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Nearly half of the world’s children – or 1.1 billion – are exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards, threatening their health, education, and survival, a new United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report released on Tuesday, has said.
According to the report, almost every child in the world faces at least one climate hazard, while more than 4 million could face as many as six overlapping threats.
Christened ‘The Children’s Climate Risk Report 2026’,it uses the latest available data to map children’s exposure to the eight most frequent climate threats, including coastal floods, droughts, extreme heat, fires, heat waves, riverine floods, sand and dust storms, and tropical storms.
The report stated that drought, extreme heat, and heat waves were the most widespread combination of climate hazards, with over 296 million children living in areas exposed to all three conditions.
The second most common combination – drought, extreme heat, and tropical storms – leaves more than 115 million children worldwide exposed to these overlapping threats.
In addition to the eight most frequent climate hazards, the report analyses children’s exposure to air pollution and malaria; two risks that are highly sensitive to the effects of climate change.
Data shows that air pollution affects nearly every child globally, while one billion children are exposed to malaria, adding another layer of danger for children already facing multiple climate hazards.
And without urgent efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, climate hazards, according to the report, will grow more frequent and severe, placing even greater strain on government budgets and systems, threatening children’s well-being, the report warns.
To protect children’s rights from these threats, UNICEF is calling on governments, businesses and relevant actors to work towards the reduction ofemissions and take ambitious action to fulfil existing international commitments, grounded in the best available science, including the urgent phasing-out of fossil fuels and a just transition towards renewable energy.
With that, children can be protected through inclusive climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and responses to loss and damage that prioritise the resilience of social services, ensuring that children and child-critical services were included in the national sector strategies, disaster risk governance, preparedness and response plans.
Moreover, the report also stated that it was important toempower children and young people to meaningfully participate in climate action by investing in climate education, knowledge and skills, and by strengthening the capacity of decision makers and experts to respect children’s rights to be heard.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has clarified that former Finance Minister Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta remains the subject of criminal proceedings in Ghana and is still wanted under a valid arrest warrant issued by the High Court in Accra.
In a public notice, the OSP said it had taken note of a transcript of a hearing from a United States immigration court that has been circulated by some media organisations.
According to the office, the document has been interpreted by some to suggest that Mr. Ofori-Atta has not been credibly charged or linked to any wrongdoing in Ghana.
The OSP rejected that interpretation, explaining that it is not involved in Mr. Ofori-Atta’s immigration proceedings in the United States.
It said its involvement relates only to extradition proceedings, which are being handled through Ghana’s Attorney-General as the country’s central authority.
According to the OSP, the extradition documents are not before the US immigration court and the court has no authority to determine whether the criminal charges against Mr. Ofori-Atta are credible.
“The credibility or otherwise of the criminal charges against Mr. Ofori-Atta is a matter for determination by the courts in Ghana,” the OSP stated.
The office explained that there are three separate legal proceedings involving the former minister.
These include the immigration proceedings in the United States concerning his immigration status, extradition proceedings to determine whether he should be returned to Ghana, and the criminal case before the High Court in Accra involving corruption and corruption-related offences.
The OSP reiterated that Mr. Ofori-Atta remains before the High Court in Accra as an accused person and that a valid warrant has been issued for his arrest.
It maintained that he remains a fugitive from justice in Ghana and is required to appear before the High Court to answer the charges against him.
The Special Prosecutor also stressed that the criminal proceedings in Ghana would continue in accordance with the law and the directives of the High Court, whether or not Mr. Ofori-Atta is physically present in the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Telecel Ghana has announced that it has resolved the intermittent challenges that affected its voice and data services.
In a message to customers, the telecommunications company announced that its network services had been fully restored after experiencing temporary disruptions.
“We are pleased to inform you that intermittent challenges with our voice and data services have been resolved,” the company said.
Telecel apologised to customers for the inconvenience caused by the service interruptions and thanked them for their patience during the period.
“We appreciate your patience and apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused,” the company added.
The company assured customers of its commitment to providing reliable communication services under its slogan, “Connecting Energies.”
By: Jacob Aggrey
