Experts warn that climate disasters not only destroy familiar lives but also deprive people of opportunities to recover from conflicts, leading to new waves of migration.
By mid-2025, the number of people who have left their homes due to wars, violence, and persecution reached 117 million. Of these, three-quarters found themselves in countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
According to the UNHCR, over the past ten years, about 250 million people have become internally displaced due to natural disasters.
Extreme weather events, such as floods in South Sudan and Brazil, record temperatures in Kenya and Pakistan, as well as water shortages in Chad and Ethiopia, are becoming the last straw for communities already in a state of chronic instability.
Despite the alarming trends, the UNHCR emphasizes that solutions exist. Both displaced persons and the communities hosting them must be included in national climate strategies and plans. In the context of the United Nations Climate Conference (COP-30) taking place in Belém, Brazil, the UNHCR calls on governments, financial organizations, and international bodies to take specific long-term steps: to integrate refugees into climate planning, invest in adaptation, and ensure that funds from climate funds reach the most vulnerable populations.
