According to a report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), these phenomena push already vulnerable communities to their limits and require immediate action from international actors.
Over the past decade, climate-related disasters have caused 250 million internal displacement, equivalent to about 70,000 per day or two every three seconds, said the agency.
“Extreme weather conditions put people’s security at greater risk; they disrupt access to essential services, destroy homes and livelihoods, and force families-many of whom have already escaped the violence- to flee again.”, noted High Commissioner Filippo Grandi.
He indicated that these are human beings who have already suffered immense losses and must, in addition, face the effects of drought, floods and heat waves without resources to recover.
Evidence indicates that by 2050, the hottest refugee camps could experience almost 200 days of extreme heat stress per year, with serious risks to health and survival, warned UNHCR.
“Many of these places are likely to become uninhabitable due to the lethal combination of extreme heat and high humidity,” he added.
