COLOMBO, Oct. 7 -- Sri Lanka ranks among the South Asian countries with the highest absolute number of child displacements linked to weather-related disasters, according to a new report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) South Asia.

The report reveals that India recorded the highest number of child displacements between 2016 and 2022, with 6.9 million children forced to leave their homes due to storms, floods, and other natural hazards. Bangladesh, meanwhile, saw the highest relative impact, with displacements affecting 7.2% of its child population.

Sri Lanka followed closely, with an estimated 4.6% or around 280,000 of its under-18 population displaced over the past seven years. The country recorded an average of 965 child ...