UNHCR's Grandi Urges Int'l Leaders To Tackle Issue Of Displaced People Amid Climate Crisis

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th November, 2022) UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on Monday urged international leaders to minimize the impact of climate emergency and its "devastating" humanitarian consequences, as well as raise an issue of displaced people at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27).

The conference is running from November 6-18 in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh.

"COP27 must equip countries and communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis to prepare for extreme weather, to adapt, and minimize the impact of the climate emergency," Grandi said in a statement. "We cannot leave millions of displaced people and their hosts to face the consequences of a changing climate alone."

The commissioner also said that over 70% of the people displaced worldwide come from the "most climate-vulnerable" countries, including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria and Yemen, adding that these states "have an enormous stake in discussions about the climate crisis, but they are too often excluded.

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Grandi added that it was important to take a number of measures to tackle humanitarian consequences of climate crisis for displaced people and host communities, and suggested collaborative and inclusive investments along with integrated action, which should engage local communities, governments and partners, who have been already battling climate extremes.

He proposed that the "solutions for displaced people must be given a place not only in discussions like at COP 27, but also must receive much more support in the climate "hotspots.'"