Millions of refugees are trapped in a vicious cycle of conflict and climate extremes, the United Nations said recently, urging the COP30 summit to provide financing for the most vulnerable. UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said that within 15 years, the places currently hosting nearly half the world’s refugees could be facing extreme exposure to climaterelated shocks. ‘Climate change is not only amplifying existing vulnerabilities — it is also fuelling displacement trends, creating complex and compounding risks for refugees… leaving many with no escape from its impacts,’ it said in a report.
it said climate shocks were increasing humanitarian needs and amplifying the risks of repeated displacement. UNHCR said that by mid2025, 117 million people had been displaced by war, violence and persecution.
of those, three in four are living in countries facing high-to-extreme exposure to climate-related hazards, it said.
it added that over the past 10 years, weather-related disasters had caused around 250 million internal displacements within countries.