Extreme climate change worsening plight of refugees

By Thaddeus Jones

Among related themes regarding climate change and urgent efforts needed to address it, participants at the COP29 Climate Change Conference taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, heard about how refugees and displaced persons are bearing the worst effects of it. These include extreme droughts, floods, and cyclones affecting regions to which they have fled and cannot escape. 

Climate shocks in conflict zones

The United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, released a detailed report on the subject published on 12 November for the COP29 summit. Prepared in collaboration with 13 expert organizations, research institutions and refugee-led groups, the report highlights the latest data which shows how climate shocks often hit conflict zones "pushing those who are already in danger into even more dire situations."

The report details how more than three quarters of the 120 million forcibly displaced persons worldwide live in countries heavily impacted by climate change, mentioning in particular countries such as Ethiopia, Haiti, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Syria.

Nowhere to escape

Entitled, "No Escape: On the Frontlines of Climate Change, Conflict and Forced Displacement", the research warns that by 2040 "the number of countries facing extreme climate-related hazards is expected to rise from 3 to 65, the vast majority of which host displaced people," especially in countries where average temperatures are rising faster and causing or worsening drought conditions.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, stated that “for the world’s most vulnerable people, climate change is a harsh reality that profoundly affects their lives” and is driving displacement "in regions already hosting large numbers of people uprooted by conflict and insecurity, compounding their plight and leaving them with nowhere safe to go.”

The report notes the 'forgotten' conflict in Sudan that has forced millions to flee, including 700,000 to neighbouring Chad where increasing drought and heat have hit extreme levels. Sudan itself has also been hit by severe flooding in recent years. The report also describes how Myanmar's refugees have sought safety in Bangladesh which is increasingly being affected by cyclones and flooding.

Solutions possible, commitment needed

Efforts to assist those forced to feel wars and violence must increase and factor in the effects of extreme climate change, the report notes, which will require more funding and logistical support to offer vital protection and humanitarian aid these people desperately need. Filippo Grandi notes that "solutions are at hand, but we need urgent action. Without proper resources and support, those affected will be trapped.”