Climate crisis hits displaced people hardest

Nearly 90 million in climate danger

Close to 90 million displaced people, three in four globally, live in countries most exposed to climate change effects, UNHCR said Friday.

A double injustice for refugees

Anton Leis Garcia, UNHCR's assistant high commissioner for operations, said refugees face injustice: forced to flee conflicts they did not cause, they are now on the frontlines of a climate crisis they have contributed least…

“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.”

Returning to vulnerable countries

More than two-thirds of refugees who returned home during the first half of 2026 went back to countries highly vulnerable to climate hazards, UNHCR warned.

Syria's climate threats

In Syria, where nearly 4 million displaced people have recently returned, declining groundwater and climate shocks threaten recovery. Flooding along the Euphrates River last May damaged homes and displaced thousands again.

Extreme heat in sub-Saharan Africa

By 2050, one in three refugee settlements across sub-Saharan Africa could face 100 or more days of dangerous heat each year, UNHCR cautioned.

Internal displacement accelerating

Weather-related disasters caused more than 255 million internal displacements worldwide over the past decade, UNHCR said. That amounts to 70,000 each day.

El Nino threatens millions

This year's exceptionally strong El Nino is expected to cause more displacement. Forecasts indicate severe flooding could displace up to 3 million people across Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda by the end of 2026.

Climate change is immediate threat

Garcia said for millions, climate change is not a distant threat. It is destroying shelters, undermining livelihoods and putting their hopes of rebuilding their lives at risk.

“For millions, climate change is not a distant threat. It is destroying shelters, undermining livelihoods and putting their hopes of rebuilding their lives at risk.”

Climate finance gap

Only 10 percent of global climate finance goes to fragile and conflict-affected countries hosting large populations of climate-exposed displaced people, UNHCR said.

Cop31 calls for inclusion

At Cop31 in Turkey, UNHCR will call on governments and climate finance institutions to include refugees and other displaced populations in national climate plans and financing mechanisms.

No one left behind

Garcia said governments cannot allow those who have already lost so much to be left behind in global climate action, as UNHCR urges action ahead of next week's climate summit.

“We cannot allow those who have already lost so much to be left behind in global climate action.”