UN in Geneva says nearly 90 million displaced people face climate threats

According to the UN, nearly 90 million refugees and internally displaced people face the threat of devastating climate-related disasters.

Ahead of COP31, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed concern on Friday in Geneva that funding is not reaching the communities most at risk.

In total, three-quarters of forcibly displaced people are in countries that are highly or extremely vulnerable to climate change. They face severe droughts, deadly floods or heatwaves.

+ UN Refugee Convention turns 75 amid rising political pressures

“Refugees face a double injustice,” said an official from the UN agency. Having fled conflict, they must now face damage to their homes and other consequences.

The UN also said that two-thirds of the refugees who returned to their home countries during the first six months of this year are among those at risk.

In particular, four million Syrians have recently returned home. Some of them have faced droughts and floods. Another problem is that a third of refugee host sites in sub-Saharan Africa could experience at least 100 days of extreme heatwaves per year by 2050.

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International Geneva

UN Refugee Convention turns 75 amid rising political pressures

This content was published on

Jul 28, 2026


The UN Convention on Refugees is marking its 75th anniversary this week, at a time when migration and asylum are increasingly divisive issues.

Read more: UN Refugee Convention turns 75 amid rising political pressures

Over the past ten years, extreme weather events have displaced nearly 256 million people – around 70,000 per day. It is estimated that flooding linked to the El Niño weather pattern could lead to a further three million people being displaced in East Africa by the end of the year.

Yet the most vulnerable countries receive only around 10% of global climate finance. Many of them are countries hosting refugees. UNHCR is calling for this situation to change.

This is particularly important because refugees and the communities hosting them are already driving innovation, such as the use of renewable energy to tackle climate challenges.

The UN agency is working with governments, development partners and the private sector to support them. At COP31, it hopes that states will include refugees and displaced people in their national plans, funding plans and investments.

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Translated from French, reviewed by an English Department journalist.