Nearly 90 million refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) live in countries that face high or extreme risk of droughts, floods and other extreme weather events, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned on Friday ahead of the upcoming climate negotiations. UNHCR called for urgent measures to protect these millions of people, who are increasingly exposed to the devastating effects of global warming. “For millions of people, climate change is not a distant threat; it is destroying their homes, undermining their livelihoods and jeopardising their reconstruction plans,” said Antón Leis García, UNHCR’s Deputy High Commissioner for Operations. The agency noted that climate‑related disasters have caused more than 255 million internal displacements worldwide in the past decade, a trend that could worsen as global temperatures continue to rise. In East Africa, for example, the onset of a strong El Niño event—linked to rising global temperatures—is expected to trigger severe flooding that could force up to three million people in Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda to leave their homes before the end of the year. UNHCR highlighted that fragile and conflict‑affected countries receive only about 10 % of global climate finance, despite hosting large refugee and IDP populations and suffering severe impacts from climate change. The agency also pointed out that the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) will be held in Turkey, one of the world’s largest refugee-hosting countries, presenting an opportunity to place the needs of displaced people and host communities at the centre of the discussions. “Refugees are on the front line of the climate crisis, but they also form part of the solution,” Leis García said. He expressed hope that COP31 would mark a turning point by recognising the pivotal role of these communities and translating that recognition into concrete commitments and investments in their benefit.
Article source: El Nuevo Diario | Image credit: El Nuevo Diario