Conflict and climate crises driving mass displacement

Millions of refugees are trapped in a vicious cycle of conflict and climate extremes, the United Nations said yesterday, urging the COP30 summit to provide financing for the most vulnerable.

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UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said that within 15 years, the places currently hosting nearly half the world’s refugees could be facing extreme exposure to climate-related shocks.

"Climate change is not only amplifying existing vulnerabilities — it is also fuelling displacement trends, creating complex and compounding risks for refugees... leaving many with no escape from its impacts," it said in a report.

It said climate shocks were increasing humanitarian needs and amplifying the risks of repeated displacement.

UNHCR said that by mid-2025, 117 million people had been displaced by war, violence and persecution.

Of those, three in four are living in countries facing high-to-extreme exposure to climate-related hazards, it said.