climate families nyc

Most families spend their weekend mornings running errands, with friends, or at the playground. But on a chilly Saturday in January, my little family of three joined 35 parents and kids bright and early for a different kind of activity: protesting outside Citi CEO Jane Frasers’ posh West Village apartment building.

Here’s why: According to the U.N., more than 43 million children have been displaced by climate disasters in the last six years. On average, that is 20,000 children displaced by climate change per day—20,000 children whose toys, clothes, and comforts were gone in an instant, 20,000 more children every day who don’t have a place to sleep at night because of climate disasters. And 20,000 children every day who are terrified, facing an uncertain future. The U.N. report also noted that whether short or long term, displacement amplifies “risks of exploitation, child trafficking, and abuse, while also exposing children to malnutrition, disease, and inadequate immunization,” compounding children’s trauma and putting them at greater risk of death.