UNICEF and partners celebrated World Children’s Day in Vietnam this week by launching the ‘Young Voices for Climate Action’ event in Hanoi, amplifying a strong call for climate action to ensure children, who are at the forefront of the climate crisis, can grow up healthy and safe. 

The event was held on Wednesday to promote collective climate action and empower children to lead the way for Vietnam’s climate response, UNICEF said in a press release issued the same day.

World Children’s Day (WCD) is UNICEF’s global day of action for children, marking the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) by the United Nations on November 20, 1989.

UNICEF also uses WCD as an opportunity to release its annual State of the World’s Children report.

The event’s climate focus aligns with CRC General Comment No. 26, which deems children’s rights to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment vital to their overall well-being.

At the event, UNICEF’s government, development, and civil society partners, as well as climate advocates, children and youth, emphasized the need to transform climate crises, such as typhoon Yagi, into opportunities for learning, resilience-building, and action.

“Typhoon Yagi drove home the reality that climate change is devastating communities," said Silvia Danailov, UNICEF representative in Vietnam, referring to the super storm that ravaged northern Vietnam in September.

"This isn’t the next generation’s problem, it’s ours.

"Collectively, we must do everything we can to protect children and their families from climate change and the devastation it leaves in its wake.

"Every child has the right to a safe and livable future.”

Effective climate action requires broad-based partnerships between public and private sectors, communities, children and youth to accelerate climate-smart solutions for all social aspects that can ensure safe and healthy lives for all children.  

Addressing the event, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki underlined the collaborative efforts exerted by the Japanese and Vietnamese governments on various disaster management initiatives.

He also spotlighted the assistance being extended through UNICEF for children – a demographic highly vulnerable to the impacts of the disaster. 

The Japanese government plans to continue supporting disaster risk reduction for vulnerable children in Vietnam by expanding disaster drills tailored for kids and assisting in the reconstruction of elementary schools and evacuation centers damaged by the recent typhoon, the ambassador said.

Vietnam’s heavy exposure to climate change risks means children are disproportionately affected.

Severe climate-induced shocks, including droughts, typhoons, landslides, and floods have had a devastating influence on the lives of millions of Vietnamese children and families.

“Increasingly frequent and intense climate events result in disruptions to essential healthcare, nutrition, education, social, and child protection services -- harming children’s ability to survive, thrive, and develop to their full potential,” stated the agency. 

The devastating aftermath of climate disasters became visible two months ago when typhoon Yagi hit large parts of northern Vietnam, taking more than 318 lives, injuring almost 2,000 people, and destroying or severely damaging schools, health facilities, and critical infrastructure, UNICEF said, adding that children and families are still struggling to recover and rebuild. 

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep said that Vietnam is at a critical juncture in addressing the increasing impacts of climate change on its youngest citizens, and the government remains persistent in its commitment to advancing policies and partnerships that protect children from climate-related risks, while also promoting sustainable development. 

“Through collective, tireless efforts, we have the capacity to convert adversities like typhoon Yagi into catalysts for progressive development," Hiep affirmed.

"This approach guarantees that every child can look forward to a future that is not only safe and healthy, but also filled with potential.”

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!