UNHCR says 90 million displaced people face climate risks

The UN refugee agency says nearly 90 million forcibly displaced people, about three-quarters of the global total, live in countries highly exposed to climate hazards, including drought, flooding and extreme heat. UNHCR released the estimate ahead of the COP31 climate conference and called for more climate adaptation funding to reach displaced people and host communities.

The agency’s report says climate hazards are complicating the prospects for lasting solutions for people displaced by conflict, violence and persecution. More than two-thirds of refugee returns during the first half of 2026 were to countries highly exposed to climate hazards, UNHCR said, putting returnees at risk of renewed displacement.

UNHCR also warned that severe flooding could displace up to three million people in Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda by the end of 2026. The figure is a forecast, not a count of people already displaced. The agency said climate risks could compound pressures in other regions, including drought, flooding and conflict-related competition for resources in the Sahel, and risks from droughts, floods and cyclones in parts of Asia.

In sub-Saharan Africa, one in three refugee...