EMERGENCY ALERT
Floods in Brazil have affected 1.4M people, forcing at least 700K children out of school.
With your help, Save the Children is working in the U.S. and around the world to help children and their communities adapt to the impacts of the climate crisis, including floods.
Floods Force Children Home with No Way Back
- Floods cause widespread destruction to homes and agriculture, the spread of waterborne disease, displacement and death.
- It is estimated that half a billion children live in flood-prone areas.
- Save the Children provides emergency aid to communities affected by extreme weather patterns like floods.
Globally, an estimated 1.2 billion children live in an area at high risk of flooding, severe drought, or other climate threats
A child born in 2020 will experience, on average, 2.8 times as many river floods compared to a person born in 1960
In Pakistan alone, the number of people going hungry soared by 45% since floods wreaked havoc across much of the country
Our Recent Flood Relief Responses
With your help, Save the Children is working in the U.S. and around the world to help children and their communities adapt to the impacts of the climate crisis, including floods.
Floods in Northern Syria
Torrential rainfall and flooding damaged camps and villages across earthquake-affected areas northern Syria. More than 4,000 families in northern Syria have been affected by the flooding, which has caused extensive damage, particularly in camps for internally displaced people (IDPs).
The flooding also cut off roads, restricting efforts to reach communities still in need of humanitarian assistance following the earthquakes that struck the region in February 2023.
Flooding in South Sudan
Widespread flooding at the end of 2022, combined with inter-communal conflict and soaring food prices, has driven South Sudan into its worst hunger crisis since independence in 2011.
More than 615,000 people were impacted by an unprecedented fourth consecutive year of large-scale flooding destroying homes, crops, and leading to a spike in malaria and snakebites, particularly among women and children.
2022 Eastern Kentucky Floods
In July 2022, historic flooding in eastern Kentucky left a wake of destruction in its path.
Save the Children worked with school and community partners across six of the region’s hardest-hit counties to help schools and child care centers recover, and get children and families the essentials they need now and long-term, including social and emotional support to cope with stress and loss following the tragic flooding.
2022 Pakistan Floods
In August 2022, the worst flooding to hit Pakistan in decades severely impacted about 33 million people, including 11 million children - or 14% of the population.
One-third of the country was underwater following more than two months of storms and flooding, described by the government as a “climate catastrophe … of unimaginable proportions”. The floods and torrential rains were blamed on worsening weather patterns as a result of the climate crisis, with Pakistan ranked as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change.
How Your Support Helps Children and Communities Impacted by Flooding
Save the Children supports children and communities most affected by the climate crisis to build resilience and adapt to the future, and provide emergency aid to communities affected by extreme weather patterns like floods. Your support makes this work possible.
We design programs to strengthen environmental action through school-based educational activities
We stand behind, and alongside, the student activists demanding action on the climate crisis
We help young people access green employment opportunities so they can contribute to future green economies
10 Flood Safety Tips to Keep Children Safe
Floods are among the most frequent and costly natural disasters in the U.S. As much as 90% of all damage from natural disasters is caused by floods. Flooding typically occurs after heavy or prolonged rainfall, or the rapid melting of snow. While the effects of floods can be devastating, these flood safety tips can help keep children safe.
What to do before a flood:
- Talk about floods. Spend time with your family discussing why floods occur and how to stay safe during a flood. Explain that flooding is a natural event and not anyone’s fault. Use simple words that young children can understand.
- Consider flood insurance. Standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flood damage.
- Stay informed. Use a NOAA Weather Radio or listen to a local station on a battery-powered device, radio or TV. Listen for what to do in a flood warning or watch. Evacuate if told to do so or if you feel unsafe.
What to do during a flood:
- Follow guidance of local authorities. Elected officials and first responders are most informed about affected areas and most knowledgeable which flooded areas to avoid.
- Move to higher ground. During a flood you should move to higher ground and avoid standing, flowing, or rising water.
- Keep children away from dirty water. Keep children and pets away from hazardous sites and floodwater as it’s likely to be dirty, carry bacteria, and vulnerable to electric shock.
- Keep children clean. Wash children's hands frequently (always before meals) and ensure they bathe after being exposed to flood waters or flood-damaged areas.
What to do after a flood:
- Ensure utilities are restored. Before children return to flood-affected areas, ensure utilities such as electricity and plumbing are restored. Living and learning spaces (e.g., homes, schools, child care facilities) should be free from physical and environmental hazards.
- Limit children’s participation in recovery. Children and teens should not be involved in clean-up efforts – they should return after the area is cleaned up. Before children return, these areas should be cleaned and disinfected, along with all toys, clothing, etc.
- Clean or discard contaminated toys. Do not allow children to play with toys that have been contaminated by flood water and have not been disinfected. Materials that cannot be readily disinfected, such as stuffed animals or pillows, should be discarded.
How to Help Children and Families Affected by Severe Flooding
Save the Children is a Green Climate Fund accredited entity, aiming to help scale up locally-led approaches to adaptation. Your donation to the Children's Emergency Fund helps our work in the U.S. and around the world helping children and their communities prevent, prepare for and recover from flooding and other climate-induced disasters.
2023 Libya Floods
On September 10, 2023, extreme rainfall from a storm system called Storm Daniel struck parts of the central and eastern Mediterranean, leading to devastating flooding and massive loss of life in Libya, the worst affected country, as well as in Greece, Türkiye and Bulgaria.
Up to 10,000 people were reported missing by the Libyan Red Crescent Society. Experts say that Storm Daniel may have caused a meter of rain to fall on the hills of eastern Libya, an unprecedented amount since records began in the mid-19th century.