This photo taken and released by the Philippine Coast Guard on Jan 11, 2023 shows rescue workers evacuating children from a flooded area in Zamboanga, Philippines. (PHOTO / AFP)

MANILA — Climate-related disasters have displaced 9.7 million children in the Philippines from 2016 to 2021, making the Southeast Asian country the epicenter of the crisis, according to a new report released by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Friday.

The Children Displaced in a Changing Climate report is the first global analysis of the number of children driven from their homes between 2016 and 2021 due to floods, storms, droughts, and wildfires. It looks at projections for the next 30 years.

According to the report, the Philippines has a robust system to prevent and respond to disasters, including monitoring systems, early warnings, evacuation protocols, and available shelters

The study shows 43.1 million children in 44 countries over six years, or approximately 20,000 child displacements daily. Regarding hazards, the Philippines ranks first for storms and third for floods in absolute numbers of displaced children. An average of 20 typhoons batter the archipelago yearly.

READ MORE: World's strongest typhoon pummels Philippines, killing four

"Children are among those who suffer the most when they are displaced in time of disasters. They experience stress, lose days in school, get sick, and become more prone to exploitation and abuse," said Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov, UNICEF representative to the Philippines. She stressed the need to strengthen efforts to protect at-risk children and support those displaced.

It is estimated that approximately 2.5 million children across the Philippines are at risk of being displaced by storm surges over the next 30 years. This risk is exacerbated by the country's coastlines being highly susceptible to storm surges, and it can impact even densely populated cities, such as Metro Manila, Cebu province in the central Philippines, and Davao in the southern Philippines.

According to the report, the Philippines has a robust system to prevent and respond to disasters, including monitoring systems, early warnings, evacuation protocols, and available shelters.

Although preparedness measures and innovations exist in the country, the report mentions that the number of children potentially displaced by a single disaster event in the Philippines raises important questions about the absorptive capacity of host communities, shelters, and schools.

READ MORE: Super typhoon kills 1 in Philippines, tens of thousands flee

As leaders prepare to meet at the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai in November, UNICEF urges governments, donors, development partners, and the private sector to take action to protect children and young people at risk of future displacements and prepare them and their communities.