Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
- In 2024, Latin America and the Caribbean continued to face compounding crises, including climate-related hazards that further exacerbated humanitarian needs and disproportionately affected children, particularly those in vulnerable communities.
- The transition from an El Niño phenomenon to La Niña caused a shift in extreme climatic patterns—ranging from prolonged droughts in Central and South America to widespread flooding in the Southern Cone and an exceptionally active hurricane season in the Caribbean basin.
- Amid escalating crises, UNICEF continued to deliver urgent humanitarian assistance while strengthening preparedness efforts and building more resilient response systems. Through strategic investments in child-focused social services and national emergency mechanisms, UNICEF continued to safeguard the most vulnerable populations across one of the world’s most hazard-prone regions.
- To support these efforts, UNICEF mobilised critical donor contributions, enabling the continued delivery of essential services in health, nutrition, education, child protection and water, sanitation and hygiene. As risks increase, sustained and flexible funding remains vital to strengthen emergency preparedness, ensure rapid response and protect the safety and well-being of children across the region.
SITUATION OVERVIEW & HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
In 2024, Latin America and the Caribbean experienced a series of climate-related hazards that exacerbated existing vulnerabilities and disrupted critical services for children. The transition from an El Niño phenomenon to La Niña caused a sharp shift in climatic patterns— worsening drought conditions in Central America and the Amazon basin, triggering severe flooding in parts of the Southern Cone and driving an exceptionally active hurricane season across the Caribbean basin. Hurricanes Beryl and John disrupted access to education, health care and safe water, with Beryl severely affecting several Caribbean islands, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, while John caused extensive damage in Mexico. In Cuba, two hurricanes—Oscar and Rafael—struck within a span of 20 days, causing severe flooding in Guantánamo and widespread damage across Artemisa, Mayabeque and Havana. The country also experienced two earthquakes in Granma and three nationwide power outages, leaving most of the population without electricity for over 72 hours.
As one of the most disaster-prone regions globally, Latin America and the Caribbean will likely continue to experience more frequent and severe extreme weather events driven by climate change. These shocks have continued to stretch the capacity of national systems and disproportionately affect children, particularly those in remote and underserved communities. Throughout the year, more than 1,000 children were displaced each day by climate-related hazards. Countries such as Cuba and Honduras ranked among the ten most affected globally by storm-related child displacements. Meanwhile, over 27 million children lived in areas with high or very high water scarcity, increasing the risk of food and water shortages, malnutrition and disease—often as secondary impacts of climate shocks.
2024’s climate-related hazards also exposed critical gaps in preparedness and recovery systems. In response, UNICEF worked closely with national governments, civil society organisations and UN agencies to strengthen emergency preparedness, anticipatory action and rapid response. Support focused on adapting service delivery in high-risk contexts, reinforcing child protection and WASH systems, and ensuring timely assistance to affected communities.
Thanks to strong donor support, UNICEF was able to deliver lifesaving assistance and expand essential services in health, nutrition, education, child protection and WASH programmes throughout 2024. As climate shocks intensify and vulnerabilities deepen, sustained and flexible funding will remain critical to ensuring continuity of services and strengthening resilience in the most at-risk communities.