Published on: 2026-11-06
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
November 6, 2026 Climate and Environment
The climate crisis has already become an immediate threat to refugees: three quarters of them – nearly 90 million people – live in countries exposed to a high or very high risk of dangerous events such as droughts, floods, and extreme heat.
At the same time, financing for climate measures does not reach many vulnerable communities. This was warned by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The report was published on Friday, ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference COP-31, which will open next week in Antalya, Turkey.
“Refugees face a double injustice. Forced to flee conflicts they did not start, they now find themselves on the frontline of the climate crisis for which they are least to blame,” said Anton Leys Garcia, Assistant to the High Commissioner for Operations.
“For millions of people, climate change is not a distant threat. It destroys homes, undermines sources of income, and jeopardizes the hope that people can rebuild their lives,” he added.
Dry season, severe consequences
The report “No Way Out III” states that unstable countries affected by conflicts and hosting a large number of refugees receive only about ten percent of global funding for climate change mitigation.
The report tells the stories of eight representatives of displaced communities who are on the front lines of the climate crisis. One of them is Monira Bakhraldin from Sudan.
In June 2023, she fled from El Fasher, located in the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur. She now lives in a refugee settlement in eastern Chad, where climatic shocks constantly threaten people amid ongoing drought and prolonged conflict.
“The peak of the dry season in Chad is much hotter than in Darfur, and the journey for water becomes even longer — just at the time when the family needs more water,” she told the report’s authors.
According to their estimates, by 2050, every third refugee settlement in countries of sub-Saharan Africa will face at least one hundred days of dangerous heat annually.
Flooding and forced displacement
Over the past decade, weather-related natural disasters have led to hundreds of millions of cases of internal displacement worldwide. Strong floods associated with El Niño are expected to force three million people in Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda to flee their homes by the end of the year.
Climate change also complicates the search for long-term solutions for displaced persons. More than two-thirds of refugees who returned home in the first half of 2026 went back to countries highly vulnerable to climate threats.
Nearly four million people have recently returned to Syria. However, the depletion of groundwater reserves and severe climate shocks threaten the country’s recovery after more than ten years of war. In May, flooding along the Euphrates damaged homes, and thousands of people were once again forced to leave their dwellings.
Almost 90 percent of stateless people worldwide live in countries highly exposed to climate threats. When natural disasters occur, many of them find it difficult to receive assistance and support due to the lack of official legal status.
Decisions and investments
The report also notes that refugees and their host communities are developing innovative ways to adapt to climate change. Examples include solar-powered water supply systems in the Sahel, climate-resilient agriculture in Uganda, as well as land and mangrove forest restoration in Colombia.
“Refugees are on the front lines of the climate crisis, but they can also help overcome it,” said Leys Garcia.
“KS-31 must become a turning point: to recognize the leading role of refugees and to turn bold commitments into concrete investments that reach those at greatest risk.”
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.