Climate-related disasters are increasingly impacting children across Latin America and the Caribbean, the world’s second most disaster-prone region. Floods, droughts, storms, and wildfires disrupt homes, education, healthcare, and access to clean water. In 2026, about 4 million children will need humanitarian assistance, with effects extending beyond emergencies to long-term health, education, and well-being. Save the Children focuses on acting early to protect children before disasters occur.
Across Latin America and the Caribbean, climate-related disasters are increasingly shaping the lives of children. LAC is the world’s second most disaster-prone region after Asia-Pacific.
Floods, droughts, storms, and wildfires disrupt communities, destroy homes, interrupt schooling, and limit access to healthcare and safe water. In 2026, an estimated 4 million children and adolescents will require humanitarian assistance, according to UNICEF. The impacts go far beyond the immediate emergency, affecting health, education, protection, and emotional well-being.
At Save the Children, we act before disaster strikes to protect children. In Peru, we prepare communities for droughts and floods; in Mexico, for storms and hurricanes; in Guatemala, for both droughts and storms. In Haiti, we work hand-in-hand with children and teachers in schools, and in Colombia, we tackle the combined effects of conflict and natural hazards. Across the region, our anticipatory actions help children stay safe, learn, and thrive even in the face of crisis.
We also advocate for placing children at the center of disaster risk reduction. At the Action on Disaster Relief 2026 event in March, the Peru Country Director, William Campbell, represented Save the Children in the panel “From Risk to Resilience: Strengthening DRR and Preparedness Across Diverse Contexts.”
Save the Children called attention to the fact that the impact of disasters on children is not only immediate but also shapes their future. It is not just lost school hours, interrupted access to water, or damaged infrastructure; it also limits access to essential services and safe spaces, which are critical for children’s development and long-term resilience.
We also highlighted key challenges affecting children, including their exclusion from planning, the prevalence of adult-centered interventions, extremely low financial allocation for disaster risk reduction, and the need of cross-sector coordination and local capacity.
As climate risks intensify, centering children in disaster risk reduction, scaling anticipatory actions, and investing in child-focused services are essential to reduce vulnerability and build a more resilient future for children and communities across LAC.
The panel was composed of leading experts in disaster risk reduction and humanitarian response across the Americas. It included Keisha Linton, Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance Coordinator of the Regional Security System (RSS); Kenisha Jeffrey-Isembert, Director of the St. Lucia National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO); Ana Eugenia Durán-Salvatierra, Deputy Regional Director for Operations LAC of the International Organization for Migration (IOM); Pedro Ignacio Cabello, Executive Deputy Director of the Argentina Federal Emergency Agency (AFE), Ministry of National Security; and William Campbell, Peru Country Director of Save the Children International. Together, they shared insights on strengthening disaster preparedness, anticipatory action, and resilient strategies across diverse contexts.