Three-quarters of world's displaced people "on frontlines of climate crisis"

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🗞️ Driving the news: Nearly 90 million forcibly displaced people — around three-quarters of the global total — live in countries highly exposed to climate hazards, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR)
• Ahead of COP31 in Türkiye, the agency is urging governments to include refugees and displaced communities in national climate plans and climate-finance mechanisms

🔭 The context: People displaced by conflict and persecution are increasingly facing droughts, floods and extreme heat in the places where they seek refuge or return home
• More than two-thirds of refugees who returned during the first half of 2026 went back to countries highly vulnerable to climate hazards
• UNHCR also warns that one in three refugee settlements in sub-Saharan Africa could experience at least 100 days of dangerous heat annually by 2050
• Meanwhile, weather-related disasters caused more than 255 million internal displacements over the past decade

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Climate change compounds existing humanitarian crises, destroying shelters, undermining livelihoods and making recovery more difficult
• However, only 10% of global climate finance reaches fragile and conflict-affected countries, leaving many of the most exposed communities with limited resources to adapt

⏭️ What’s next: At COP31, UNHCR is expected to call on governments and climate-finance institutions to ensure displaced people are included in national adaptation strategies and funding
• The agency also highlights the risk of further displacement in East Africa, where severe flooding linked to the exceptionally strong El Niño could affect up to three million people across Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda by the end of 2026

💬 One quote: “Refugees face a double injustice.” - Anton Leis Garcia, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operations 

📈 One stat: Only 10% of global climate finance reaches fragile and conflict-affected countries, according to UNHCR

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