BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 18. We are concerned about the lack of climate finance for countries and communities that need it most, Michelle Yonetani, Senior Policy Officer, Special Adviser to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said during a panel session on “Addressing climate vulnerability: promoting a comprehensive and equitable approach to climate action” on the sidelines of the COP29 Parliamentary Meeting, co-organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Trend reports.
"When we talk about the refugee problem, we need to take into account everyone affected by it. And we are asking everyone to start changing, to understand this complexity, to acknowledge it, and at the same time to really change our thinking, to really focus on implementation, on solutions. And there are several key factors that contribute to this action. First of all, it is factual information. Although we already have a significant database, more information is needed about what is happening at the national and local levels.
High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, present at the COP29 Leaders' Summit, presented the new UNHCR report, which is the result of collaboration with some 13 expert organizations and researchers, leading academics, and refugee-led organizations, helping to bring together the evidence needed to ensure refugee safety," she said.
Michelle Yonetani noted that, according to the report, of the estimated 120 million internally displaced people worldwide, people forcibly displaced by conflict and persecution, three out of four currently live in communities that are exposed to high or extreme impacts of climate change.
"Countries like Sudan, Haiti, Myanmar, Ethiopia, and so on. Combining the data and modeling results, we also found that the number of countries exposed to extreme climate-related hazards is expected to increase to 65 in 2040. And most of these countries are hosting displaced people.
Financing is a major topic of discussion here at COP29. What really worries us is the lack of funding for the countries and communities where it is most needed to address the growing inequities linked to the climate crisis, she added.