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Climate Change is an Existential Threat to Humanity by International Court of Justice, agencies July 2025 The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands, issued its advisory opinion on the obligations of States in respect of climate change, read out by the President of the Court, Judge Iwasawa Yuji, on Wednesday. The UN’s principal judicial body ruled that States have an obligation to protect the environment from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and act with due diligence and cooperation to fulfill this obligation. This includes the obligation under the Paris Agreement on climate change to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The Court further ruled that if States breach these obligations, they incur legal responsibility and may be required to cease the wrongful conduct, offer guarantees of non-repetition and make full reparation depending on the circumstances. UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the historic decision. "This is a victory for our planet, for climate justice and for the power of young people to make a difference," he said. “The world must respond.” The case was “unlike any that have previously come before the court,” President of the International Court of Justice Judge Yuji Iwasawa said while reading the court’s unanimous advisory opinion outlining the legal obligations of United Nations member states with regard to climate change. This case was not simply a “legal problem” but “concerned an existential problem of planetary proportions that imperils all forms of life and the very health of our planet,” Iwasawa said. “A complete solution to this daunting and self-inflicted problem requires the contribution of all fields of human knowledge, whether law, science, economics or any other; above all, a lasting and satisfactory solution requires human will and wisdom at the individual social and political levels to change our habits and current way of life to secure a future for ourselves and those who are yet to come”. "Failure of a state to take appropriate action to protect the climate system … may constitute an internationally wrongful act," court president Yuji Iwasawa said. "The legal consequences resulting from the commission of an internationally wrongful act may include … full reparations to injured states in the form of restitution, compensation and satisfaction." The court added that a "sufficient direct and certain causal nexus" had to be shown "between the wrongful act and the injury". The Court used Member States’ commitments to both environmental and human rights treaties to justify this decision. UN Member States are parties to a variety of environmental treaties, including ozone layer treaties, the Biodiversity Convention, the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement and many more, which oblige them to protect the environment for people worldwide and for future generations. The right to “a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a precondition for the enjoyment of many human rights,” since Member States are parties to numerous human rights treaties, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, they are required to guarantee the enjoyment of such rights by addressing climate change. In September 2021, the Pacific Island State of Vanuatu announced that it would seek an advisory opinion from the Court on climate change. This initiative was inspired by the youth group Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change, which underscored the need to act to address climate change, particularly in small island States. After the country gaind the support of other UN Member States, the UN General Assembly, on 29 March 2023, adopted a resolution requesting an advisory opinion from the ICJ on two questions: (1) What are the obligations of States under international law to ensure the protection of the environment? and (2) What are the legal consequences for States under these obligations when they cause harm to the environment? The ICJ ruling was welcomed by Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology & Geo-Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management for the Republic of Vanuatu. “Today’s ruling is a landmark opinion that confirms what we, vulnerable nations have been saying, and we’ve known for so long, that states do have legal obligations to act on climate change, and these obligations are guaranteed by international law. They’re guaranteed by human rights law, and they’re grounded in the duty to protect our environment, which we heard the court referred to so much,” Regenvanu said. Mr Regenvanu hailed the court's decision as a "landmark milestone". "It's a very important course correction in this critically important time," he said. "Even as fossil fuel expansion continues under the US's influence, along with the loss of climate finance and technology transfer, and the lack of climate ambition following the US's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, major polluters, past and present, cannot continue to act with impunity and treat developing countries as sacrifice zones to further feed corporate greed." Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, legal counsel for Vanuatu’s ICJ case, said the opinion meant that the “era where fossil fuel producers can freely produce and can argue that their climate policies are a matter of discretion—they’re free to decide on the climate policies—that era is over. We have entered an era of accountability, in which states can be held to account for their current emissions if they’re excessive but also for what they have failed to do in the past.” Vishal Prasad, the director of Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change and one of the students who initiated the case, said the advisory opinion would play a major role in holding polluters accountable. "The ICJ's decision brings us closer to a world where governments can no longer turn a blind eye to their legal responsibilities," he said. "It affirms a simple truth of climate justice: those who did the least to fuel this crisis deserve protection, reparations, and a future." ICJ president Yuji Iwasawa said the climate "must be protected for present and future generations" and the adverse effect of a warming planet "may significantly impair the enjoyment of certain human rights, including the right to life". The detailed ICJ advisory opinion dealt with obligations of states under various climate conventions and treaties and humanitarian law. The court concluded that in terms of the climate agreements, state parties: To the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change have an obligation to adopt measures with a view to contributing to the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change. Have additional obligations to take the lead in combating climate change by limiting their greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing their greenhouse gas sinks and reservoirs. To the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, have a duty to cooperate with each other in order to achieve the underlying objective of the convention. To the Kyoto Protocol must comply with applicable provisions of the protocol. To the Paris Agreement have an obligation to act with due diligence in taking measures in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities capable of making an adequate contribution to achieving the temperature goal set out in the agreement. To the Paris Agreement have an obligation to prepare, communicate and maintain successive and progressive, nationally determined contributions, which, when taken together, are capable of achieving the temperature goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. State parties to the Paris agreement have an obligation to pursue measures which are capable of achieving the objectives set out in their successive nationally determined contributions. State parties to the Paris agreement have obligations of adaptation and cooperation, including through technology and financial transfers, which must be performed in good faith. In addition, the court was of the opinion that customary international law sets forth obligations for states to ensure the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. These obligations include the following: States have a duty to prevent significant harm to the environment by acting with due diligence and to use all means at their disposal to prevent activities carried out within their jurisdiction or control from causing significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. States have a duty to cooperate with each other in good faith to prevent significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment, which requires sustained and continuous forms of cooperation by states when taking measures to prevent such harm. State parties to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the ozone layer and to the protocol and to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete ozone layer and its Kigali amendment, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa, have obligations under these treaties to ensure the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. State parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea have an obligation to adopt measures to protect and preserve the marine environment, including from the adverse effects of climate change, and to cooperate in good faith. However, the court did not end there; it was of the opinion that states have obligations under international human rights law and are required to take “measures to protect the climate system and other parts of the environment.” The court said a clean, healthy and sustainable environment was a precondition for exercising many human rights, such as the right to life, the right to health, the right to an adequate standard of living, including access to water, food and housing. * ICJ Summary: Obligation of States in respect of climate change (7pp): http://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/187/187-20250723-pre-01-00-en.pdf * ICJ complete advisory: Obligation of States in respect of climate change (140pp): http://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/187/187-20250723-adv-01-00-en.pdf http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/07/1165475 http://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1t/k1tey5ro2w http://www.icj-cij.org/case/187/press-releases http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/07/turk-hails-landmark-icj-ruling-affirming-states-human-rights-obligations http://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/news/institute-responds-to-international-court-of-justice-advisory-opinion/ http://www.ciel.org/news/icj-climate-opinion-ends-fossil-fuel-impunity/ http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/press_releases/?14459466/ICJ-advisory-opinion-climate-change http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/07/global-international-court-of-justices-landmark-opinion-bolsters-fight-for-climate-justice-and-accountability/ http://blog.ucs.org/delta-merner/five-reasons-why-the-icj-climate-advisory-opinion-matters/ http://www.clientearth.org/latest/press-office/press-releases/world-s-highest-court-confirms-countries-must-act-to-avert-climate-catastrophe-in-a-once-in-a-generation-legal-decision/ http://earth.org/landmark-moment-for-climate-justice-reactions-pour-in-after-icj-delivers-historic-opinion-on-states-climate-change-obligations/ http://www.dw.com/en/worlds-top-court-says-healthy-environment-is-a-human-right/a-73373617 http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/23/healthy-environment-is-a-human-right-top-un-court-rules http://www.ipsnews.net/2025/07/climate-change-existential-threat-to-humanity-says-icj/ http://www.ciel.org/project-update/advancing-climate-justice-at-the-icj/ http://www.sei.org/about-sei/press-room/production-gap-report-2025-press-release-2 http://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-news/johan-rockstrom-addresses-heads-of-state-during-united-nations-general-assembly-201cfailure-is-not-inevitable-it-is-a-choice201d http://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-news/seven-of-nine-planetary-boundaries-now-breached-2013-ocean-acidification-joins-the-danger-zone http://www.planetaryhealthcheck.org/ http://news.exeter.ac.uk/research/new-reality-as-world-reaches-first-climate-tipping-point/ http://global-tipping-points.org/ http://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adv2906 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http://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session57/advance-versions/A-HRC-57-30-AEV.pdf http://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/general-comments-and-recommendations/crccgc26-general-comment-no-26-2023-childrens-rights http://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/resources/updates/human-rights-climate-change-and-the-role-of-geneva/ http://www.idea.int/stockholm-series-of-public-lectures-climate-change-democracy Visit the related web page |
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Over 122 million forcibly displaced people by UNHCR, IDMC, NRC, agencies July 2025 Following major cuts to humanitarian budgets, up to 11.6 million refugees and others forced to flee risk losing access this year to direct humanitarian assistance from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, according to a report published today. The figure represents about one-third of those reached by the organization last year. The report highlights a deadly confluence of factors pummeling millions of refugees and displaced people: rising displacement, shrinking funding and political apathy. And women and children are, as ever, the hardest hit. Altogether, $1.4 billion of essential programmes are being cut or put on hold, according to the analysis of UNHCR programmes and funds received this year. Millions now face deteriorating living conditions, heightened risks of exploitation and abuse, and may be pushed into further displacement. Behind these numbers are real lives, hanging in the balance. Families are seeing the support they relied on vanish, forced to choose between feeding their children or buying medicines as hope for a better future slips out of sight. Every sector and operation has been hit, and critical support is being suspended to keep life-saving aid going. Cuts have forced UNHCR to pause the movement of new arrivals from border areas to safer locations in places like Chad and South Sudan, leaving thousands stranded in remote locations. In Uganda, malnutrition rates are soaring in some reception centres, with limited access to clean water and food. Health and education services are being scaled back, with schools closing and clinics understaffed. In camps hosting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, education for some 230,000 children is at risk of being suspended. UNHCR’s entire health programme in Lebanon is at risk of being shuttered by the end of the year. Financial aid and the delivery of emergency relief items have been cut by 60 per cent globally and shelter programmes have been critically diminished. In places like Niger, cuts in financial aid for shelter have left families in overcrowded structures or at risk of homelessness. Financial aid in Ukraine and across the region has also been slashed, leaving uprooted families unable to afford rent, food or medical treatment. Child protection as well as prevention of and responses to gender-based violence have been hard hit. In South Sudan, 75 per cent of safe spaces for women and girls supported by UNHCR have closed, leaving up to 80,000 refugee women and girls, including survivors of sexual violence, without access to medical care, psychosocial support, legal aid, material support or income-generating activities. Cuts are also, worryingly, impacting resettlement and the safe and voluntary return of refugees. Around 1.9 million Afghans have returned home or been forced back since the start of the year, but financial aid for returnees is barely enough to afford food, let alone rent, undermining efforts to ensure stable reintegration. In several operations, severe funding gaps have curtailed investments in strengthening asylum systems and promoting regularization efforts. In countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Mexico, a lack of legal status means prolonged insecurity, deepening poverty as refugees are excluded from formal employment, and greater exposure to exploitation and abuse. These cuts are undermining efforts made to find long-term solutions. Incentives for refugee volunteers have also been severely impacted, threatening vital services and cutting a regular source of income for those refugees. UNHCR funding requirements for 2025 are $10.6 billion. At the midpoint of the year, only 23 per cent had been met. Against this backdrop, our teams are focusing efforts on saving lives and protecting those forced to flee. Should additional funding become available, UNHCR has the systems, partnerships and expertise to rapidly resume and scale up assistance. UNHCR is grateful to donors who have continued their support during these difficult moments and urges governments, institutions and individuals to significantly boost their financial contributions to bridge the current funding gap. http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-funding-cuts-bite-some-11m-people-are-losing-aid http://www.unhcr.org/media/brink-devastating-toll-aid-cuts-people-forced-flee 20 June 2025 World Refugee Day, by Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees: "Today is World Refugee Day – a day to honour the courage and resilience of millions of people around the globe forced to flee war, violence and persecution. But it is also a moment to sound an alarm on their behalf. Record numbers of men, women and children – over 122 million people worldwide – have been uprooted from their homes, but their ability to find safety and support is threatened as never before. The abject failure to end conflicts – from Sudan to Ukraine, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Gaza – continues to create untold human suffering. Yet the innocent people who run for their lives as the bullets fly and the missiles rain down are unjustly stigmatized, making it harder to escape danger and to find somewhere to recover and rebuild. To make a desperate position worse, brutal cuts to humanitarian aid are choking off assistance, threatening the lives of millions of people who desperately need help. At this critical juncture, it is vital that we reaffirm our solidarity with refugees – not just with words but with urgent action. Thankfully, there is no shortage of examples to inspire us: the countries on the edges of war zones that continue to welcome and host refugees; the local communities that open their homes, workplaces and hearts to displaced people; and the countless individual acts of kindness and compassion that reveal our common humanity. In many cases, this support can be found among people with few resources to share, and in places facing major economic challenges. From wealthier states to development banks to businesses and many others, we can and must support these countries and communities by sharing the responsibility for protecting refugees. Such acts of solidarity would enable this generosity to continue. Even in these turbulent times, there are moments of profound hope. This World Refugee Day, I am in Syria where, after 14 years of crisis and despair, two million people have already chosen to return to their homes and communities since the fall of the Assad regime last December. In a region that has suffered so much violence – and suffers even now – we are nonetheless presented with an opportunity to help Syrians achieve stability and prosperity. We must not let it pass by. Today, I met Syrian families who have returned after more than a decade as refugees. Their deep joy at being among familiar faces and surroundings – despite the many challenges – is a poignant reminder of the yearning refugees feel for home. Such moments are only made possible through solidarity: the solidarity shown by countries neighbouring Syria that provide a haven for people until they feel it is safe to return; the solidarity shown by Syrian communities who are welcoming their compatriots back after a long and painful absence; and the solidarity shown by my UNHCR colleagues and their local and international partners, who are here to support returning families and will remain by their side as they rebuild their homes and lives. Now more than ever, we must stand with refugees to keep alive their hopes of a better future. This World Refugee Day and every day, governments, institutions, companies and individuals can prove that by helping those caught up in senseless conflicts, we move towards greater stability, humanity and justice for us all. If we do so, I can promise you that refugees will bring all their courage, spirit and ingenuity to the task of creating a better, brighter tomorrow." June 2025 According to UNHCR’s annual Global Trends Report released today, there were 122.1 million forcibly displaced people by the end of April 2025, up from 120 million at the same time last year, representing around a decade of year-on-year increases in the number of refugees and others forced to flee their homes. The main drivers of displacement remain large conflicts like Sudan, Myanmar and Ukraine, and the continued failure to stop the fighting. Whether this trend continues or reverses during the rest of 2025 will largely depend on whether peace or at least a cessation in fighting is possible to achieve, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Ukraine; whether the situation in South Sudan does not deteriorate further; whether conditions for return improve, in particular in Afghanistan and Syria; and how dire the impact of the current funding cuts will be on the capacity to address forced displacement situations around the world and create conducive conditions for a safe and dignified return. Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said: “We are living in a time of intense volatility in international relations, with modern warfare creating a fragile, harrowing landscape marked by acute human suffering. We must redouble our efforts to search for peace and find long-lasting solutions for refugees and others forced to flee their homes.” Forcibly displaced people include people displaced within their own country by conflict, which grew sharply by 6.3 million to 73.5 million at the end of 2024, and refugees fleeing their countries (42.7 million people). Sudan became the world’s largest forced displacement situation with 14.3 million refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs), replacing Syria (13.5 million), and followed by Afghanistan (10.3 million) and Ukraine (8.8 million). The report found that, contrary to widespread perceptions in wealthier regions, 67 per cent of refugees stay in neighbouring countries, with low and middle-income countries hosting 73 per cent of the world’s refugees. Indeed, 60 per cent of people forced to flee never leave their own country. While the number of forcibly displaced people has almost doubled in the last decade, funding for UNHCR now stands at roughly the same level as in 2015 amid brutal and ongoing cuts to humanitarian aid. This situation is untenable, leaving refugees and others fleeing danger even more vulnerable. UNHCR and the broader humanitarian community are facing detrimental funding cuts, that will severely impact millions of people globally. Without sufficient funding, there will not be enough food assistance and basic shelter support for displaced people. Protection services, including safe spaces for refugee women and girls at risk of violence, are likely to be terminated. Communities that have generously hosted forcibly displaced people for years will be left without the support they need. For the number of forcibly displaced people to reduce, meaningful progress is required on the root causes – conflict, disregard for the basic tenets of International Humanitarian Law, other forms of violence and persecution. In the meantime, resources to meet urgent humanitarian needs, to support host countries, to protect people from the risks of dangerous onward movements and to help refugees and other forcibly displaced people find durable solutions are more essential than ever. The consequences of inaction will be borne by those who can least afford it. http://www.unhcr.org/news/press-releases/number-people-uprooted-war-shocking-decade-high-levels-unhcr http://www.unhcr.org/global-trends http://www.nrc.no/feature/2025/a-global-displacement-crisis-as-the-world-abandons-aid http://www.unhcr.org/news/speeches-and-statements/statement-un-high-commissioner-refugees-filippo-grandi-security http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-funding-crunch-increases-risks-violence-danger-and-death-refugees http://www.wfp.org/news/refugees-escaping-sudan-face-escalating-hunger-and-malnutrition-food-aid-risks-major http://www.wfp.org/news/refugees-kenya-risk-worsening-hunger-wfp-faces-critical-funding-shortfall http://refugees.org/uscri-calls-for-immediate-action-as-refugees-face-man-made-starvation-crisis-in-kenya/ http://www.wvi.org/publication/world-refugee-day/report-ration-cuts-2025 May 2025 The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) reached 83.4 million at the end of 2024, the highest figure ever recorded, according to the Global Report on Internal Displacement 2025 published today by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). This is equivalent to the population of Germany, and more than double the number from just six years ago. “Internal displacement is where conflict, poverty and climate collide, hitting the most vulnerable the hardest,” said Alexandra Bilak, IDMC director. “These latest numbers prove that internal displacement is not just a humanitarian crisis; it’s a clear development and political challenge that requires far more attention than it currently receives.” Nearly 90 per cent of IDPs, or 73.5 million people, were displaced by conflict and violence, an increase of 80 per cent in six years. Ten countries had over 3 million IDPs from conflict and violence at the end of 2024, double the number from four years ago. Sudan alone hosted a record-breaking 11.6 million IDPs, the most ever recorded in a single country. An additional 9.8 million people were living in internal displacement at the end of the year after being forced to flee by disasters, a 29 per cent increase over the previous year and more than double the number from just five years ago. Afghanistan (1.3 million) and Chad (1.2 million) together accounted for nearly a quarter of the total. “Internal displacement rarely makes the headlines, but for those living it, the suffering can last for years. This year’s figures must act as a wake-up call for global solidarity. For how much longer will the number of people affected by internal displacement be allowed to grow and grow, as a result of a lack of ownership and leadership?” said Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council. “Every time humanitarian funding gets cut, another displaced person loses access to food, medicine, safety and hope. Over the past year, I’ve met with internally displaced families in DR Congo, in Palestine, and in Sudan, and listened to them speak about the devastating impact of displacement on their lives and their hopes for the future. The lack of progress is both a policy failure and a moral stain on humanity. Now is the time for governments to show political will and financial investments for lasting solutions to displacement.” In many situations, people had to flee multiple times throughout the year as areas of conflict shifted, increasing their vulnerabilities and impeding their efforts to rebuild their lives. Together, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Palestine and Sudan reported 12.3 million internal displacements, or forced movements of people, in 2024, nearly 60 per cent of the global total for conflict displacements. Disasters triggered 45.8 million internal displacements in 2024, the highest annual figure since IDMC began monitoring disaster displacements in 2008 and more than double the annual average of the past decade. The United States (US) alone accounted for nearly a quarter of global disaster displacement and was one of 29 countries and territories to record their highest figures on record. Weather-related events, many intensified by climate change, triggered 99.5 per cent of disaster displacements during the year. Cyclones, such as hurricanes Helene and Milton that struck the US, and typhoon Yagi that struck numerous countries in East Asia, triggered 54 per cent of movements linked to disasters. Floods triggered another 42 per cent, with major events on every continent, from Chad to Brazil, Afghanistan to the Philippines and across Europe. Many disaster displacements were pre-emptive evacuations that saved lives in the US, the Philippines, Bangladesh and elsewhere, showing that displacement can be a positive coping mechanism in disaster-prone countries. Of the 163 countries and territories reporting disaster displacements last year, 53 reported pre-emptive evacuations, but incomplete data means the true number is likely higher. Available evidence shows that without adequate support even pre-emptively evacuated people can remain displaced for prolonged periods. The number of countries reporting both conflict and disaster displacement has tripled since 2009. More than three-quarters of people internally displaced by conflict and violence as of the end of 2024 were living in countries with high or very high vulnerability to climate change. These overlapping crises erode people’s ability to recover and stretch government resources. “The cost of inaction is rising, and displaced people are paying the price,” said Bilak. “The data is clear, it’s now time to use it to prevent displacement, support recovery, and build resilience. Resolving displacement requires both immediate efforts to help people who have lost everything and investments to address underlying vulnerabilities, so people don't become displaced in the first place.” http://www.internal-displacement.org/news/number-of-internally-displaced-people-tops-80-million-for-first-time/ The world’s most neglected displacement crises 2024 (Norwegian Refugee Council) In 2024, the number of people displaced across the globe surged to double what it was ten years ago. At the same time, humanitarian funding covered just half of the rising needs. Shifting domestic priorities, economic uncertainty and political fatigue have led to severe cuts in support for people affected by crisis and displacement. The world is in transition. But we must not accept this abandonment as a foregone conclusion. Displacement isn’t a distant crisis; it’s a shared responsibility. We must stand up and demand change. Each year, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) publishes a report of the ten most neglected displacement crises in the world. The purpose is to focus on the plight of people whose suffering rarely makes international headlines, who receive little or no assistance, and crises that never become the centre of attention for international diplomacy efforts. On top of chronic underfunding, the countries appearing in our list struggled to gain meaningful media traction. The lack of headlines mirrors a broader failure of political will. While needs escalated, efforts to address the root causes of these crises stalled or were simply abandoned. Humanitarian access remained heavily restricted in several contexts due to insecurity, bureaucratic barriers, and the absence of diplomatic engagement. Millions of displaced people remain unseen, unsupported, and increasingly unreachable. Climate change is hitting the most vulnerable the hardest. It is displacing people from their homes, destroying fragile livelihoods, and pushing communities already on the brink into even worse conditions. Prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall and increasingly frequent disasters are not only uprooting lives but also eroding food systems. Crops are failing while the ground floods, livestock is dying under merciless heat, and access to water is becoming more unpredictable. Food insecurity has become one of the most devastating and immediate consequences of the climate crisis for displaced people. As the world turns inward and humanitarian budgets shrink, the needs of people who have been displaced are growing louder, not quieter. The systems meant to respond are no longer fit for purpose, and our approach to crisis must evolve too. In a world reshaping itself politically, economically and environmentally, this is a moment for us all to confront the structural failures driving neglect – to demand accountability and build a response that matches the rapid change. If we choose to act, to invest, and to stand in solidarity, we can build a future where no-one is left behind. What we do this year will be remembered. http://www.nrc.no/feature/2025/the-worlds-most-neglected-displacement-crises-in-2024/ http://www.nrc.no/longreads Visit the related web page |
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