UNICEF Appoints Zunaira Baloch for Climate Advocacy
14-year-old Zunaira Baloch from Balochistan has been appointed as UNICEF’s Youth Advocate for Climate Action and Girls’ Empowerment.
Zunira Qayyum’s selection was announced at the Breathe Pakistan Climate Conference in recognition of her work in environmental advocacy and children’s rights.
Zunira Qayyum has represented Pakistan’s youth at national and international platforms, including COP29.
Her research on how floods caused by climate change affect girls’ secondary education in the Hub region of Balochistan,
was included in UNICEF’s Policy Research Challenge 2023 and she was awarded first place.
Zunira Qayyum has also trained young people who are engaged in policy discussions, research, and networking to campaign against environmental pollution, using UNICEF’s Youth Advocacy Guide.
UNICEF Pakistan Representative Abdullah Fazil praised Zunira Qayyum’s work, calling her a source of hope for the future.
Zunira stressed the need to empower youth to take action against growing environmental threats.
The appointment comes at a crucial time when climate change is adversely affecting education and livelihoods in Pakistan.
A recent UNICEF analysis found that climate-related disasters in 2024 have affected the education of 26 million children, of whom 16 million are affected by air pollution in Punjab alone.
