Three-quarters of the world’s refugees, or approximately 90 million people, live in countries exposed to climate-related hazards such as severe or extremely severe droughts, floods and intense heatwaves.
Three-quarters of the world’s refugees, or approximately 90 million people, live in countries exposed to climate-related hazards such as severe or extremely severe droughts, floods and intense heatwaves. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has warned that despite the hardships refugees face, climate adaptation funding is failing to reach the people who need it most. Ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), which is scheduled to begin next week in Antalya, Türkiye, a UNHCR report titled No Escape says that countries affected by conflict and instability, which host large refugee populations, receive only around 10% of global climate adaptation funding. Antón Leis García, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner, said refugees were facing a double injustice. They had been forced to flee their homes because of conflicts for which they were not responsible, and were now exposed to a climate crisis in which they had played little or no part.
The report also features the stories of eight displaced people who have been severely affected by the climate crisis. Among them is Munira Bahruddin, a woman from Sudan who was forced to flee Al-Fashir, a city in the war-ravaged Darfur region, in mid-2023. She now lives in a refugee settlement in eastern Chad. She told the report’s authors that the dry season in Chad was far more severe than in Darfur. The journey to collect water had become even longer, while her family’s need for water had also increased. According to the report, by 2050, one in every three refugee settlements in sub-Saharan Africa could face at least 100 days of severe and potentially deadly heat each year.
Over the past decade, climate-related disasters have forced tens of millions of people around the world to move within their own countries. Severe flooding associated with El Niño could displace three million people in Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda by the end of this year. Climate change has also made it more difficult for displaced people to return permanently to their homes or rebuild their lives. During the first six months of 2026, more than two-thirds of the refugees who returned to their home countries went back to nations that are extremely vulnerable to climate-related hazards. In Syria, around four million people have also returned in recent years. However, declining groundwater levels and severe climate impacts are threatening recovery efforts after more than a decade of war. Meanwhile, approximately 90% of the world’s stateless population lives in countries severely affected by climate-related hazards. When natural disasters strike, these people also face difficulties accessing aid and assistance because they lack legal identification and citizenship.
The report also highlights how refugees and the communities hosting them are adopting new and effective ways to cope with the effects of climate change. These initiatives include solar-powered water systems in the Sahel region, climate-resilient agricultural practices in Uganda, and land and mangrove restoration projects in Colombia. Antón Leis García said COP31 should serve as an important turning point by recognizing the leadership and contributions of refugees and translating major global commitments into investments, ensuring that people most severely affected by climate hazards receive the support they need.
