UN agency warns that three‑quarters of displaced populations reside in high climate‑risk countries

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released a report on 5 November indicating that about 90 million forcibly displaced individuals – roughly three‑quarters of the global total – are located in countries that face severe exposure to climate‑related hazards. The agency highlighted drought, flooding and extreme heat as the primary climate threats affecting these populations.

According to the report, more than two‑thirds of refugees who returned to their home countries during the first half of the year did so in environments classified as highly vulnerable to climate hazards. The agency cited Syria as an example, where nearly four million displaced persons have returned amid declining groundwater levels and recent flooding along the Euphrates River that damaged homes and forced additional displacement.

UNHCR warned that climate change is increasingly undermining durable solutions for displaced people. The agency projected that by 2050, one in three refugee settlements across sub‑Saharan Africa could experience 100 or more days of dangerous heat each year, intensifying health and safety risks for residents.

The organization also noted that weather‑related disasters are driving internal displacement at a rapid pace, with more than 255 million internal displacements recorded worldwide over the past decade. This averages to about 70 000 new internal displacements each day, according to UNHCR data.

In a statement, Anton Leis Garcia, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, described the situation as a “double injustice,” emphasizing that people forced to flee conflict are now confronting climate crises they have contributed little to. The agency called on governments and international bodies to prioritize climate‑resilient assistance ahead of the upcoming COP31 climate summit in Turkey.