Panama City, December 4, 2023.- In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), about 96.8 per cent of all the climate funds are not responding to children’s needs, according to the groundbreaking brief paper released today by CERI, Plan International, Save the Children and UNICEF. These commitments are inadequate and ignore children's unique needs in the face of the climate crisis, including their need for targeted adaptation and protection from loss and damage. 

In a groundbreaking Advocacy Brief released today, the child rights organizations CERI, Plan International, Save the Children and UNICEF bring attention to the critical lack of climate finance for children in the LAC region and call for urgent action. 

Children are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis. In the region, 4 in 5 children are at high risks of climate hazards such as water and food scarcity, vector- and water-borne diseases, and physical and psychological trauma linked to disasters and prolonged environmental risks. An additional 10.9 million children face the triple burden of climate hazards, poverty, and conflict.   

"In El Salvador, it is getting too hot to go to school. It makes it harder for a lot of students like me to also concentrate" asserted an adolescent girl from El Salvador. Another girl from the same country added, "The change in temperature impacts our mental health, climate change generates a lot of anxiety." 

The impacts are particularly severe for girls and children facing different forms of discrimination and inequality, such as indigenous and ethnic minority children, displaced or migrant children, and children with disabilities. 

“Let's stand together for the children, especially girls, in the face of climate challenges. It's not just about funding; it's about securing their future. We must invest directly where it matters—in their well-being, resilience, and dreams. By doing so, we're not just ensuring a sustainable tomorrow; we're building a future that's fair and enduring for every boy and girl in every corner of our region", said DéboraCóbar, Plan International Regional Executive Director for the Americas. 

“Paradoxically, children in Latin America and the Caribbean are the first to be affected by climate change, but the least to benefit from climate funds," stated Garry Conille, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “It doesn’t make sense that child-responsive climate funds only reach children in six countries of the region. The climate crisis is a child rights crisis, a climate fund that is child blind is doomed to fail.” he added. 

"Children and adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean are key agents of change in responding to the current climate crisis. Yet, in 35 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, they do not receive any direct climate investments. This must change. We call on all leaders from the region to stand up for better climate finance dedicated to children and adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean at COP28", confirms Victoria Ward, Save the Children Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Building upon the global report "Falling Short: Addressing the climate finance gap for children," conducted by the Children’s Environmental Rights Initiative (CERI) coalition, the Advocacy Brief is the first-ever child-focused review of international climate finance in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

In tandem with the dynamic discussions unfolding at COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, this Advocacy Brief aims tocontribute to dialogues and discussions on gender-responsive solutions and climate finance. 

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