Geneva : The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that nearly 90 million forcibly displaced people are living in countries increasingly exposed to climate-related droughts, floods and extreme heat.
In a report ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, the Republic of Türkiye, UNHCR stressed the need for more funding to help vulnerable communities adapt to climate change.
It noted that, in the first half of 2026, more than two-thirds of refugee returns were to countries highly exposed to climate risks, meaning that refugees may be forced to flee again.
The report stated that weather-related disasters caused more than 255 million internal displacements worldwide over the past decade, equivalent to around 70,000 a day. It also noted that forecasts for East Africa indicate that severe flooding associated with El Niño could displace up to three million people by the end of 2026.
UNHCR called on governments and climate finance institutions meeting in Türkiye to increase funding for climate change adaptation, noting that only around 10% of climate finance reaches fragile or conflict-affected countries.
