The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned that extreme weather events and climate change are increasingly making the lives of refugees and displaced communities more difficult.
According to UNHCR spokesperson Olga Sarrado, climate change is exacerbating the vulnerability of refugees and displaced individuals, increasing their protection risks and impacting their ability to rebuild their lives.
Sarrado highlighted the devastating impact of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and storms, which are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change. She noted that these events are forcing many refugees to be displaced once again, with some losing everything and having to start from scratch in a new location.
The UNHCR estimates that as of May 2024, 120 million people worldwide have been forcibly displaced, with three-fourths of them living in countries highly vulnerable to extreme weather events and climate disasters.
Sarrado warned that by 2040, the situation is expected to worsen, with a vast majority of those forcibly displaced and refugees living in countries extremely vulnerable to climate change.
Sarrado cited recent examples of extreme weather events, including floods in Brazil that have displaced 600,000 people and floods in East Africa that have impacted close to 1 million people who were already refugees or internally displaced.
She emphasized that most of those displaced due to extreme weather events move within their own countries, highlighting the need for international support for countries hosting refugees.
The UNHCR is working to support countries hosting refugees and displaced communities, including providing emergency assistance and promoting sustainable solutions to address the root causes of displacement.
Sarrado urged the international community to take immediate action to address the growing impact of climate change on refugees and displaced communities, emphasizing the need for investment in measures to help people stay where they are rather than being forced to flee once again.
The statistics from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre show that nearly 26 million people were displaced due to extreme weather events in 2023, many due to floods or droughts. Sarrado warned that the situation is getting worse and worse, and emphasized the need for urgent action to address the crisis.
