As the global climate crisis intensifies, those who have already been forced to flee war, violence, and persecution are facing even more dire threats, according to a new report from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The report highlights the alarming intersection of climate change and conflict, showing how displaced populations are disproportionately affected by both crises. The findings underscore the urgent need for increased climate financing and support for these vulnerable groups.
The report, titled No Escape: On the Frontlines of Climate Change, Conflict and Forced Displacement, reveals that more than 120 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide. Of these, three-quarters live in countries that are heavily impacted by climate change. Half of these displaced individuals are located in areas suffering from both conflict and extreme climate hazards, such as Ethiopia, Haiti, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Syria.
By 2040, the report warns that the number of countries facing extreme climate-related hazards will increase dramatically from just three to 65, with the majority of those hosting displaced populations. This rise in climate hazards will have devastating consequences for refugees and their host communities, with refugee camps and settlements expected to experience double the number of dangerous heat days by 2050.
THE GROWING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
For refugees and displaced communities, the climate crisis is already a harsh reality. As UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi noted, “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 situation is particularly dire in Sudan, where the ongoing conflict has forced millions to flee, including 700,000 people who have crossed into neighboring Chad. Chad, which has hosted refugees for decades, is itself one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Similarly, those who remain in Sudan face further risks from severe flooding. Myanmar’s refugees, many of whom have sought safety in Bangladesh, are also experiencing extreme climate hazards such as cyclones and flooding.
Grace Dorong, a climate activist and former refugee from South Sudan, emphasized the urgency of addressing these challenges: “In our region, where so many people have been displaced for so many years, we see the effects of climate change before our very eyes.”
THE FUNDING SHORTFALL: CLIMATE FINANCE AND REFUGEES
The report also highlights the stark disparity in climate finance, with funding failing to reach refugees, host communities, and other vulnerable populations in fragile and conflict-affected countries. Currently, fragile states receive only about US$ 2 per person in annual climate adaptation funding—an astonishing shortfall compared to the $161 per person allocated to non-fragile states. Worse still, when funds do reach fragile states, more than 90 percent of it is concentrated in capital cities, leaving rural areas and refugee settlements to suffer without adequate support.
A CALL FOR ACTION AT COP29
Released during COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the UNHCR report calls for urgent action to increase climate finance that directly benefits those most in need. Grandi pointed out the injustice faced by displaced populations and the communities that host them: “The climate emergency represents a deep injustice. People forced to flee, and the communities hosting them, are the least responsible for carbon emissions. Yet, they are paying the highest price.”
The report urges states to prioritize the protection of forcibly displaced people. It also calls for making sure that they have a voice in climate finance and policy decisions. Without proper resources and support, these communities will continue to be trapped in a cycle of vulnerability. They will not be able to adapt to the ever-worsening climate crisis.
