Geneva: Millions of refugees and people forced to flee are caught in a worsening cycle of conflict and extreme weather, as revealed in a new report by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The report indicates that climate shocks are diminishing recovery prospects, increasing humanitarian needs, and elevating the risk of repeated displacement.
According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, by mid-2025, 117 million people had been displaced due to war, violence, and persecution, with three-quarters residing in countries highly exposed to climate-related hazards. In the past decade, weather-related disasters have caused approximately 250 million internal displacements, averaging around 70,000 displacements daily. Floods in South Sudan and Brazil, unprecedented heat in Kenya and Pakistan, and water shortages in Chad and Ethiopia exemplify the extreme weather events pushing fragile communities to the edge.
Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, emphasized that extreme weather is increasing safety risks and disrupting essential services worldwide. It destroys homes and livelihoods, forcing families—many already displaced by violence—to flee again. The hardest-hit individuals, enduring severe droughts, deadly floods, and record-breaking heatwaves, possess the least resources for recovery.
Basic survival systems are strained in many areas. For instance, refugees from war-torn Sudan arriving in flood-affected Chad receive less than 10 liters of water daily—significantly below emergency standards. By 2050, some refugee camps could face nearly 200 days of hazardous heat stress annually, posing serious health and survival risks. Many such locations may become uninhabitable due to extreme heat and humidity.
The report reveals that environmental degradation exacerbates community challenges, with three-quarters of Africa’s land deteriorating. More than half of Africa’s refugee and internally displaced settlements are in areas of severe ecological stress, reducing access to food, water, and income. In the Sahel, climate-linked livelihood losses drive recruitment into armed groups, illustrating how environmental stress can fuel conflict and displacement cycles.
Funding shortfalls and inequities in climate finance leave millions unprotected. Fragile countries hosting refugees receive only a quarter of needed climate finance, while most global climate funding bypasses displaced communities and their hosts.
Grandi stated that funding cuts severely limit the ability to protect refugees and displaced families from extreme weather’s effects. He emphasized the necessity of investing in at-risk communities to prevent further displacement, urging that climate financing reach those living on the brink.
Despite challenges, UNHCR insists that solutions exist. Displaced and host communities can foster resilience if included in national climate plans, supported through targeted investment, and given a voice in decisions impacting their future. Yet, national climate plans often neglect refugees and their host communities.
As COP30 approaches, UNHCR urges governments, financial institutions, and the international community to take decisive action. Including displaced people and their hosts in climate planning, investing in adaptation and resilience, and ensuring climate finance reaches frontline communities is critical.
Key data from the report shows that three-quarters of refugees live in countries facing high-to-extreme climate hazards, with weather-related disasters causing 250 million internal displacements in the past decade. By 2050, some refugee camps could face nearly 200 hazardous heat stress days annually. Since April 2023, nearly 1.3 million people fleeing Sudan have sought refuge in South Sudan and Chad, countries ill-equipped to handle the growing climate emergency.