Climate crisis threatens 120M displaced people: UNHCR

The U.N. refugee agency on Tuesday warned that half of the world’s over 120 million displaced people are increasingly finding themselves on the front lines of the global climate crisis, facing a lethal combination of threats but without the funding and support to adapt.

In a report released during COP29 in Baku, the UNHCR said: “Of the more than 120 million forcibly displaced worldwide, three-quarters live in countries heavily impacted by climate change. Half are in places affected by both conflict and serious climate hazards, such as Ethiopia, Haiti, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Syria.”

By 2040, the number of countries facing extreme climate-related hazards is expected to rise from three to 65, with the vast majority of those hosting displaced people, according to the report.

Similarly, most refugee settlements and camps are projected to experience “twice as many days of dangerous heat” by 2050.

“For the world’s most vulnerable people, climate change is a harsh reality that profoundly affects their lives,” U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said.

“The climate crisis is driving displacement in regions already hosting large numbers of people uprooted by conflict and insecurity, compounding their plight and leaving them with nowhere safe to go.”

The report cites the conflict in Sudan as an example, saying it has forced millions of people to flee, including 700,000 who have crossed into Chad, which has hosted refugees for decades and yet is one of the countries most exposed to climate change.

At the same time, many who fled the fighting but remained in Sudan are at risk of further displacement because of severe flooding that has blighted the country, it warned, adding: “Similarly, 72% of Myanmar’s refugees have sought safety in Bangladesh, where natural hazards such as cyclones and flooding, are classified as extreme.”

Climate financing falls short for refugees, fragile states

The report also highlighted that climate financing is failing to reach refugees, host communities, and others in fragile and war-torn countries, threatening their ability to adapt to the effects of climate change.

Extremely fragile states receive only around $2 per person in annual adaptation funding, calling “an astounding shortfall” when compared to $161 per person in non-fragile states. When investment does reach fragile states, more than 90% goes towards capital cities, while other places rarely benefit, it said.

The refugee agency has also urged states to protect forcibly displaced people who face the additional threat of climate disasters, and to give them and the communities that host them a voice in finance and policy decisions.

“The climate emergency represents a deep injustice,” Grandi said. “People forced to flee, and the communities hosting them, are the least responsible for carbon emissions yet are paying the highest price. The billions of dollars in climate financing never reach them, and humanitarian assistance cannot adequately cover the ever-widening gap.”

He underlined the need for urgent action and said: “Without proper resources and support, those affected will be trapped.”