What is a flood?
Flash floods are unexpected, extreme volumes of water that flow rapidly. They're often difficult to forecast and leave communities little time to escape.
In the aftermath of a flood, structural damage to buildings is common; in severe cases, structures could collapse or be swept away. The primary cause of flood-related death is drowning, while injuries can range from cuts and bruises, to electric shocks.
As a flash flood takes hold, families are often forced to flee to high ground, with their drinking water contaminated and sanitation at risk. Later, the return home brings new challenges, with increased risk of diseases such as cholera or malaria.
Like floods, landslides/mudslides can cause slow, gradual damage, or more rapidly destroy buildings and endanger people’s lives. Typically caused by natural events like heavy rain or volcanic eruptions, landslides often happen in the same place more than once. Heavy rains or rapid snow-melting can lead to landslides, which also frequently occur in areas burned by forest and brush fires.
In the UK alone, over 5.5 million properties are at risk of flooding, with 1 in 6 homes in England vulnerable to flooding from rivers or the sea. Winter 2023-24 saw Storms Henk and Babet cause widespread disruption and forcing school closures across England.
What the Data Says About Floods and Children
Climate change is making flooding more frequent and severe in the UK. The Met Office's State of the UK Climate 2024 report shows winter rainfall has increased since 1960, with extreme rainfall events becoming more intense.
Globally, flooding affects more children than any other climate-related disaster. UNICEF's Children's Climate Risk Index found that approximately 920 million children worldwide—one in three—live in areas with high flood risk.
How Floods Affect Children
The disruption extends far beyond the immediate crisis. When flooding forces school closures, children from low-income families miss vital learning time they can least afford to lose. The emotional toll is significant: research found that children who experience flooding are at increased risk of anxiety, sleep disturbances, and post-traumatic stress.
In flood-affected areas of the UK, children face exposure to sewage overflow—a problem exacerbated by aging infrastructure. Environment Agency data shows significant sewage discharge events during heavy rainfall, posing immediate health risks to families sheltering in temporary accommodation.
How do Save the Children help children affected by floods?
In general, when responding to a flood Save the Children will:
Food Security and Livelihoods
- Deliver emergency food
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
- Repair water supply points
- Build latrines and distribute hygiene kits
Health
- Provide basic health services
Shelter
- Provide temporary shelter materials
In October 2025, exceptional rainfall caused severe flooding across southeastern Mexico, with Veracruz and Puebla among the most affected states. More than 100,000 homes were damaged, and thousands of families are facing shortages of water, healthcare, and shelter. Schools remain closed, leaving over 740,000 children and adolescents out of class. Save the Children Mexico, together with Médecins du Monde Switzerland and Habitat, is responding to the emergency in Poza Rica and Xicotepec through medical care, psychosocial support, and safe spaces for children, while cleanup and community recovery efforts continue.
WHAT WE're doing in Sri Lanka
Chamari*, 40 has lived in a flood-prone village in Matara District for 18 years with her husband, Amila* and three children, Dinu*, Sithumi*, and Kalana*. Like many families, they survive on daily labour but changing rainfall patterns have made life increasingly difficult. Floods that once came once a year now strike two to three times, often leaving families without food, income, or access to school and healthcare.
In Sri Lanka’s Matara District, floods used to come once a year. Now, they strike two or three times, leaving families stranded, children out of school, and livelihoods destroyed. In May 2024, Chamari* and her neighbours faced one of the worst floods yet—water surged above their heads, cutting off access to food, medicine and safety.
Save the Children worked with Chamari’s community to set up a Village Disaster Management Committee (VDMC)—a local group trained to prepare for and respond to disasters. Together, they mapped high-risk areas, set up evacuation centres, and created an early warning system. With support from our partners, they now have three canoes, life jackets, and emergency kits ready for the next flood.
Chamari, now the committee’s treasurer, helps coordinate evacuations and keep children safe. “We used to be scared,” she says. “Now we know what to do.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Floods and Children
How do floods affect children's education?
Floods disrupt education by damaging schools, destroying learning materials, and forcing families to relocate. In the UK, school closures during flooding disproportionately affect children from low-income families who rely on school meals and may lack safe alternative learning spaces. Globally, prolonged displacement can keep children out of school for months.
What health risks do floods pose to children?
Floodwater carries sewage, chemicals, and debris that cause infections, diarrhea, and skin conditions. Standing water breeds mosquitoes, spreading diseases like malaria. Children's developing immune systems make them especially vulnerable, and mental health impacts—including anxiety and trauma—can persist long after waters recede.
Which children are most at risk from flooding?
Children in poverty, living in inadequate housing near rivers or coasts, face the highest flood risk. Families without resources to evacuate, replace essentials, or secure temporary accommodation struggle most. Globally, children in low-income countries with weak infrastructure experience the most severe and long-lasting impacts.
