Nearly 90 mln displaced people face severe climate risks
Nearly 90 million forcibly displaced people worldwide are living in countries highly exposed to extreme heat, droughts and floods, facing growing threats to their safety and livelihoods, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warns, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to UNHCR's latest report, No Escape III: Displaced Voices on the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis, three in four forcibly displaced people globally face high to extreme exposure to climate-related hazards. Many have already fled conflict, violence and persecution, only to encounter further threats in places where resources to adapt are limited.
The report features the experiences of eight members of displaced communities, highlighting their resilience and the importance of including their voices in climate-related decisions.
“Refugees face a double injustice. Forced to flee conflicts they did not cause, they are now on the frontlines of a climate crisis they have contributed least to,” said Antón Leis García, UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Operations.
Climate change is also undermining the prospects for lasting solutions. More than two-thirds of refugees who returned home in the first half of 2026 did so to countries highly vulnerable to climate hazards, raising concerns about the sustainability of their return.
In Syria, where nearly 4 million displaced people have recently returned, declining groundwater levels and severe climate shocks are threatening recovery. Flooding along the Euphrates River in May 2026 damaged homes and forced thousands more people to flee.
Extreme heat poses another growing challenge. By 2050, one in three refugee settlements in sub-Saharan Africa could face at least 100 days of dangerous heat annually. In some settlements in Ethiopia, including Helaweyn, dangerous heat could persist for more than 200 days a year, threatening residents' health and livelihoods.
Weather-related disasters have triggered more than 255 million internal displacements worldwide over the past decade, equivalent to approximately 70,000 movements a day. In East Africa, severe flooding associated with a very strong El Niño could displace up to 3 million people in Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda by the end of 2026, depending on the severity of the floods.
Climate hazards also increase the risk of statelessness. Nearly 90% of the world's 4.7 million reported stateless people live in countries facing high to extreme exposure to climate risks. Without legal recognition, many struggle to access disaster relief and adaptation support.
Despite these growing threats, fragile and conflict-affected countries receive only around 10% of global climate finance, even though many host large displaced populations and face severe climate impacts. UNHCR says greater investment in adaptation, particularly in areas of return, is essential to support reintegration and make returns safe, voluntary and sustainable.
Displaced people and host communities are already developing climate solutions, including solar-powered water systems in the Sahel, climate-resilient agriculture in Uganda, and land and mangrove restoration in Colombia.
At COP31, UNHCR will urge governments and climate finance institutions to include displaced people in national climate plans, increase long-term adaptation funding for fragile and displacement-affected areas, and support locally led solutions beyond short-term humanitarian assistance.
The agency says the conference, hosted by Türkiye, one of the world's largest refugee-hosting countries, offers an opportunity to ensure that displaced people and host communities are included in global climate action.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the year 2026 could become one of the four warmest years on record, as ocean temperatures continue to rise, glaciers lose ice and global sea levels reach new highs.
