UNHCR Warns 90 Million Displaced People Face Severe Climate Threats

As the world prepares for the COP31 climate summit, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has sounded the alarm over millions of vulnerable individuals caught at the intersection of conflict and environmental crisis. According to a recent report, nearly 90 million forcibly displaced people currently live in nations heavily exposed to severe climate-related risks, including Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Anton Leis Garcia, UNHCR’s assistant high commissioner for operations, emphasized that climate adaptation in fragile regions is a matter of survival. He called for urgent climate financing to reach the communities where the needs are greatest, noting that only about 10 percent of global climate finance currently reaches conflict-affected countries.

The findings illustrate how environmental pressures complicate safe returns. In the first half of 2026, over two-thirds of refugee returns were directed toward countries highly exposed to climate hazards, risking secondary displacement. For instance, in Syria, returning populations face worsening water scarcity and flood damage along the Euphrates River.

Sub-Saharan Africa faces particularly alarming projections. By 2050, one in three refugee settlements in the region could endure at least 100 days of dangerous heat annually, threatening health and livelihoods. Furthermore, a forecast supersized El Niño threatens to trigger additional displacement across East Africa and the Sahel.

Read the full details in the Daily Monitor report.