The escalating climate crisis is triggering a global displacement emergency, forcing millions from their homes and exacerbating existing humanitarian crises, according to a report released Monday by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Over the past decade, weather-related disasters have resulted in approximately 250 million internally displaced persons, a staggering figure equating to roughly 70,000 displacements daily – a relentless pace underscoring the inadequacy of current preventative measures and international response.
As of mid-2025, a total of 117 million people are displaced worldwide due to conflict, violence and persecution. Critically, three out of every four of these displaced individuals reside in nations exhibiting high to extreme vulnerability to climate-induced hazards, a geographical concentration that amplifies the destabilizing effects of environmental degradation. Recent events, including catastrophic flooding in South Sudan and Brazil, record-breaking heatwaves in Kenya and Pakistan and severe water scarcity in Chad and Ethiopia, are pushing already fragile communities to the brink of collapse.
“Extreme weather events are endangering people’s safety everywhere” stated UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. “They disrupt access to essential services, destroy homes and livelihoods and are forcing families – many of whom have already fled violence – to move again”. He emphasized the perverse reality that those already bearing the immense burdens of loss and displacement are now facing compounded suffering and devastation, possessing limited resources to navigate the escalating crisis.
The UNHCR report highlights the intense strain on basic survival systems in affected regions. In sections of flood-ravaged Chad, newly arrived refugees fleeing the conflict in Sudan are receiving less than 10 liters of water daily, a stark violation of emergency standards. Projections indicate that, by 2050, the hottest refugee camps could experience nearly 200 days per year of dangerously high heat stress, posing severe health and survival risks, potentially rendering some locations uninhabitable due to the combination of extreme heat and humidity.
The unfolding situation raises profound questions about the international community’s responsibility to address the root causes of climate displacement. While humanitarian aid remains vital, critics argue that a greater emphasis must be placed on mitigation strategies, adaptation measures and robust financial support for vulnerable nations already facing the brunt of climate change. The current trajectory suggests that without a significant shift in policy and a commitment to collective action, the scale of climate displacement will only continue to accelerate, further destabilizing regions and deepening a complex humanitarian catastrophe.