French newspaper claims climate change is fueling child marriages, including girls as young as 12

A French newspaper claimed Tuesday that climate change is accelerating child marriages in developing countries, including among girls as young as 12, citing research suggesting that natural disasters are pushing impoverished families to marry off their daughters at increasingly younger ages.

Le Parisien's report , headlined "She was only 12: Climate change, a new accelerator of child marriage," directly linked weather-related disasters to early marriages in Bangladesh, Kenya and other countries.

"In Bangladesh, Kenya and elsewhere, climate disasters are worsening child marriages," the newspaper said in a passage translated from French.

"By destroying incomes and homes, they push some families to marry off their daughters at increasingly younger ages." ALASKA STATE FAIR BARS PARENTAL RIGHTS GROUP DUE TO 'EXTREMIST' GROUP DESIGNATION BY FAR-LEFT ORGANIZATION The article drew criticism from Moms for Liberty CEO and co-founder Tina Descovich , who told Fox News Digital that attributing child marriage to climate change shifts responsibility away from those exploiting children.

"Blaming climate change for the abhorrent practice of marrying off girls as young as 12 sounds absolutely wild… but it’s just the latest absurd excuse for disgusting behavior, shifting responsibility onto the environment instead of the people and ideologies that choose to exploit children," Descovich said.

"At Moms for Liberty, we see this same mentality every day in America, where activists blame society, systems, or external factors for harming kids rather than demanding strong families, parental rights, and personal accountability that actually protect our children," she continued.

TALIBAN WIPES OUT DECADES OF PROGRESS AS 2.4M AFGHAN GIRLS REMAIN LOCKED OUT OF SCHOOL, UN AGENCY SAYS The French newspaper based much of its reporting on Plan International's 2026 report , which examined the relationship between climate-related disasters and child marriage.

Researchers surveyed 5,000 girls and young women across Bangladesh, Kenya, Peru, Senegal and Zimbabwe.

According to Le Parisien, 36% reported observing increased child marriage following climate-related disasters, while 11% said they had personally experienced child marriage.

Fox News Digital reached out to Le Parisien and Plan International for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

The newspaper highlighted the case of a 12-year-old Bangladeshi girl who was reportedly married off four days after boys harassed her inside a cyclone shelter.

According to a teenage friend interviewed by the outlet, the girl later gave birth to a baby who died, leaving her with serious health complications.