UN Secretary General António Guterres said, "the era of global boiling has arrived" after July broke records as the world’s hottest month.

The damage that the climate crisis is causing for women and girls cannot be overstated.

In Bangladesh, adolescent girls’ vulnerability to a variety of dangers increases when natural disasters strike. Girls suffer from food insecurity, sexual harassment, and child marriage during monsoon season when increasingly devastating floods destroy crops and displace families.

"In my village, people think about girls in a very traditional way. Whenever a family has problems with money, the first thing they think about is stopping their daughter’s education and marrying her off," described 15-year-old Aisha.

World leaders are sounding the alarm as the Horn of Africa plunges toward famine amidst record-breaking drought made worse by climate change. Women and girls are paying a high price in the crisis-affected regions.

Extensively damaged and destroyed health facilities and a shortage of medical supplies and health-care providers have severely disrupted access to sexual and reproductive health services. The availability of maternal health care, including emergency obstetric care, to address life-threatening pregnancy complications has been critically compromised.

And in Myanmar, Cyclone Mocha — one of the most powerful storms to hit the country — tore homes to pieces while torrential downpours submerged areas along the coast, flooding villages and leaving hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people without shelter.

UNFPA-supported health facilities and safe spaces for women and girls were extensively damaged — or destroyed entirely — by the storm. Months later, women and girls are in urgent need of assistance with access to aid still limited.

It’s clear: Women and girls are being hit the hardest by the impacts of the climate crisis. So as we continue working together to meet the needs of women and girls around the world, it’s critical we hear from you:

Do you think climate action should be a part of our work to support women and girls?

Thank you for your response,

— USA for UNFPA