UN Warns Climate Risks Threaten 90 Million Refugees and Displaced People Worldwide

UN Warns Climate Risks Threaten 90 Million Refugees and Displaced People Worldwide
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The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned that around 90 million refugees and forcibly displaced people worldwide face growing climate threats, including droughts, floods and extreme heat. The agency said that three-quarters of displaced people live in countries highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

In a report released ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Türkiye, UNHCR highlighted how increasingly severe weather events are worsening the challenges facing people displaced by conflict, violence and persecution. It revealed that weather-related disasters triggered more than 255 million cases of internal displacement over the past decade, while only 10% of global climate finance reaches fragile and conflict-affected countries.

UNHCR called on governments and international financial institutions to take urgent action by including refugees and displaced communities in national climate plans and providing additional funding to strengthen their protection and resilience against climate-related disasters.