Climate change traps refugees in Turkey
The gist
UNHCR says nearly 90 million forcibly displaced people live in countries highly exposed to climate hazards.
Refugees who fled war now face a second crisis they did little to cause.
How it unfolded
- Nov 6, 2026UNHCR releases a report ahead of COP31 in Antalya warning that nearly 90 million forcibly displaced people live in countries highly exposed to climate hazards.
- Nov 6, 2026UNHCR says more than two-thirds of refugees who returned home in the first half of 2026 went back to areas highly exposed to climate hazards, and nearly four million have returned to Syria despite falling groundwater levels.
- Nov 6, 2026UNHCR says weather-related disasters triggered more than 255 million internal displacements worldwide over the past decade, and fragile countries receive only about 10 percent of global climate finance.
Key terms
- UNHCR
- A United Nations agency that aids and protects refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people.
- COP31
- The 31st session of the UN climate change conference under the UNFCCC, where parties meet to negotiate climate action.
- climate finance
- Financial resources from public or private sources for climate change mitigation, adaptation, or resilience.
Source: Wikipedia