Climate Risks Threaten Nearly 90m Displaced People: UNHCR

Nearly 90 million forcibly displaced people worldwide are increasingly exposed to climate-related hazards, including droughts, floods and extreme heat, the UN refugee agency UNHCR has warned.

In a report released on Friday, the agency said climate change was making it increasingly difficult for displaced people to return to their home countries sustainably, raising the risk of repeated displacement.

Nearly three-quarters of the world's forcibly displaced population live in countries facing severe climate-related risks, including Afghanistan and Bangladesh, according to the report.

The situation threatens their lives and livelihoods while making it harder for those returning home to rebuild their lives without facing further displacement.

Released ahead of the UN climate conference COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, the report highlights the growing links between conflict, forced displacement and climate change.

UNHCR called for increased climate financing for vulnerable communities, particularly those living in conflict-affected and fragile countries.

“Adapting to climate change in areas affected by conflict and displacement has become a matter of survival,” said Anton Leis Garcia, UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Operations.

He stressed the need to ensure that climate finance reaches the communities that need it most.

The report highlighted the experience of a Sudanese refugee who fled fighting in Al-Fashir in June 2023 and sought shelter at the Farchana refugee camp in eastern Chad.

The refugee said she sometimes had to wait up to a week to find safe drinking water. As nearby seasonal riverbeds dried up, she had to walk much longer distances in search of alternative water sources. Extreme heat made the situation even more difficult.

More than two-thirds of refugees who returned home during the first half of 2026 went back to countries facing high risks from climate-related disasters, the report said, exposing them to the possibility of renewed displacement.

In Syria, nearly four million displaced people have recently returned, but worsening water shortages and increasingly erratic rainfall are creating fresh challenges. Flooding along the Euphrates River in May damaged homes and displaced thousands of people.

The report also warned that one in three refugee camps in sub-Saharan Africa could experience at least 100 days of dangerous heatwaves annually by 2050, posing serious threats to health and livelihoods.

Some camps, including Helawain in Ethiopia, could face more than 200 days of dangerous temperatures each year, increasing the risks of heatstroke and premature deaths.

“Many refugees have limited access to cooling, water and reliable energy, making it harder for them to protect themselves from dangerous temperatures,” the report said.

UNHCR further warned that a forecast strong El Niño could intensify climate risks in several refugee-hosting countries and trigger further displacement.

Severe flooding in East Africa could displace up to three million people in Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda by the end of this year, it said.

In the Sahel region, drought, flooding and conflict could intensify competition over scarce resources, while parts of Asia are facing growing risks from droughts, floods and cyclones.

Ahead of COP31, UNHCR urged governments and climate finance institutions to increase funding for climate adaptation in vulnerable countries.

The agency noted that only around 10 per cent of climate finance reaches countries affected by conflict and fragility.

A separate UN report released on Wednesday estimated that developing countries need $305 billion annually to adapt to climate change. However, wealthy nations are falling far short of providing the required funding, even as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe.