Children in South Sudan have issued a declaration calling on the government and world leaders to move beyond climate pledges and invest in measures that protect children's education, health, and livelihoods from the effects of flooding, drought, and extreme heat. The declaration was adopted during a children's climate consultation in Juba on Thursday, ahead of the COP31 climate conference in Türkiye. The young participants described climate change as a child-rights crisis, warning that climate-related disasters threaten children's access to education, nutritious food, clean water, and healthcare.
The children demanded climate-resilient schools, accessible early warning systems, emergency shelters, and predictable funding for community-based adaptation programs. They also urged decision-makers to consider the heightened risks facing children with disabilities, displaced children, and those living in remote or conflict-affected communities. According to 17-year-old climate advocate Siama Santino, climate-related hazards have disrupted her education, with heat waves in 2024 and 2025 forcing temporary school closures, and flooding in Bor making it difficult to travel to school.
Santino emphasized the need for the government to prioritize adaptation measures that help families prepare for climate-related emergencies and provide assistance to those displaced from affected areas. She urged world leaders to focus on issues that lead to tangible actions, rather than just promises. The children's concerns extend beyond disrupted lessons, with participants describing how climate-related shocks can damage homes and crops, worsen food insecurity, and expose families to health risks.
Eva Hegedus, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Influence at Save the Children South Sudan, said climate-related disasters affect children's education not only by damaging schools but also by undermining their health, nutrition, and psychological well-being. She emphasized the need for climate resilience to be integrated into national adaptation plans, school preparedness strategies, infrastructure, and the national curriculum. Save the Children is finalizing an assessment documenting climate-related loss and damage across several states, with a focus on the effects of flooding on children.
The Ministry of Environment and Forestry says South Sudan is seeking increased international financing to help vulnerable communities cope with climate change. Director for Climate Change and the UNFCCC National Focal Person, Payai Manyok John, said the country's priorities ahead of COP31 included securing more climate finance for adaptation and ensuring that support reaches communities most affected by climate-related disasters. The government is pursuing proposals worth $25 million with the United Nations Development Programme, alongside plans for a further $15 million to support small-scale farmers.
The children want their demands reflected in national climate and development plans, with funding directed towards measures that address the immediate risks they face. Their declaration called on wealthier, high-emitting countries to reduce emissions and increase support for adaptation and loss and damage. It also urged donors, financial institutions, United Nations agencies, and humanitarian organizations to finance practical solutions for vulnerable children.
As South Sudan prepares for COP31, the declaration sets out what the children want from the process: not simply commitments made at international meetings, but practical measures that protect their rights and prepare their communities for a changing climate. Five South Sudanese children, including two boys and three girls, are expected to participate in COP31, where they will engage with the country's delegation and other international representatives.
Key points
- Children in South Sudan are demanding climate action to protect their education, health, and livelihoods from the effects of flooding, drought, and extreme heat.
- The government is seeking increased international financing to help vulnerable communities cope with climate change, with priorities including securing more climate finance for adaptation.
- The children's declaration calls on wealthier, high-emitting countries to reduce emissions and increase support for adaptation and loss and damage.
