The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned on Friday that nearly 90 million forcibly displaced people live in countries highly exposed to droughts, floods and extreme heat.
The agency found that almost three in four displaced people worldwide live in countries facing high to extreme climate hazards. UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operations Anton Leis Garcia said, “Refugees face a double injustice.”
He argued that people escaping conflicts now face a climate crisis they did little to cause. Climate threats are complicating efforts to return home.
In the first half of 2026, more than two-thirds of returning refugees went back to countries vulnerable to climate hazards. UNHCR warned that such conditions threatened lasting solutions for displaced communities.
By 2050, one in three refugee settlements across sub-Saharan Africa could experience at least 100 days of dangerous heat annually.
More than half the locations assessed could face at least 50 additional days of dangerous heat each year, UNHCR projected.
Weather-related disasters caused more than 255 million internal displacements worldwide over the past decade, the agency estimated. That averages around 70,000 displacement movements daily.
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UNHCR also warned about severe flooding linked to a possible very strong El Niño. Such flooding could displace up to 3 million people by the end of 2026. The forecast covers Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda.
Nearly 90% of the world’s 4.7 million reported stateless people live in countries facing high to extreme climate hazards. Without legal recognition, many struggle to access disaster relief and support to adapt to worsening conditions, UNHCR warned.
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Yet fragile and conflict-affected countries receive only around 10% of global climate finance, according to the agency. Leis Garcia urged financing institutions to direct more resources towards displaced communities and the countries hosting them.
UNHCR plans to press governments to include refugees and displaced people in national climate plans and financing at COP31. The summit will take place in Antalya, Türkiye.
With input from Anadolu Agency
