A/HRC/19/63 13. The present report explores the impact of humanitarian crises – particularly natural disasters – on the vulnerability of children to sale and other forms of exploitation. The report provides an overview of challenges, good practices and lessons learned in relation to the protection of children in natural disasters. 14. The report also indicates the obligations and responsibilities of States and all other concerned stakeholders. It contains recommendations to develop, strengthen and implement coordinated efforts to effectively protect children, including through prevention, disaster risk reduction, preparation, response and rebuilding. Children’s vulnerability in natural disasters B. 1. Natural disasters and climate-related catastrophes 15. Natural disasters refer to events or forces of nature which have a catastrophic effect on human populations and habitats, including geographical, infrastructural and material damage, physical and psycho-social trauma, displacement, insecurity and death. Natural disasters typically include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods and tornadoes. However, health pandemics, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and influenza virus strains, may also be considered natural disasters. 16. Climate-related catastrophes are caused by extreme weather events2 that may trigger or exacerbate natural disasters, such as tropical storms and windstorms. These events may include extreme temperature highs – such as heat waves – and lack of precipitation that can lead to drought, wild fires and famine, or extremely high levels of precipitation that can cause flooding, landslides and mudslides. Climate change may also create or exacerbate conditions in which health pandemics are more rapidly transmitted.3 17. Every year, an estimated 231 million people worldwide are affected by natural disasters and climate-related catastrophes; the majority being children.4 According to UNICEF’s 2011 Humanitarian Action report, “climate-related hazards are increasing, accounting for 70 per cent of all disasters today compared to 50 per cent two decades ago, and such climate-related crises are projected to affect hundreds of millions every year as early as 2015.”5 18. Natural disasters rarely occur in isolation, therefore affected populations may have to deal with the consequences of simultaneous or repeated emergencies, including physical damage, political crises, disease epidemics, weakened landscapes and territories, and emerging or enduring conflicts. The countries are often faced with an exponential increase in risk resulting from pre-existing positions of vulnerability. 19. Extreme global weather conditions have a disproportionately negative impact on the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. It is known that the most vulnerable 2 3 4 5 Institute for European Environment Policy, “Climate change and natural disasters: Scientific evidence of a possible relation between natural disasters and climate change,” Brief No. 02a/2006, European Parliament, January 2006. World Health Organization, “Climate change and health,” Fact sheet No. 266, January 2010, available at http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/. Save the Children, Child Protection in Emergencies: Priorities, Principles and Practices, 2007, available at http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/47fb94fe2.html. UNICEF, 2011 Humanitarian Action for Children: Building resilience, March 2011, available at http://www.unicef.org/HAC2011_EN_PDA_web.pdf. 5