UNHCR’s Climate Action
Women clear roads damaged by flood waters in Bentiu city, Unity State, South Sudan. The state’s capital has become an island surrounded by water following a fourth consecutive year of devastating floods that have hit two-thirds of the country and impacted some 900,000 people. ; More than 2.3 million South Sudanese are refugees in neighbouring countries, with an estimated 2.2 million internally displaced due to conflict, insecurity and climate change. The country also hosts more than 340,000 refugees. Some 900,000 people have been impacted by current record-breaking flooding in the country for the fourth consecutive year. South Sudan is one of UNHCR’s most underfunded crises. Without sufficient funds, UNHCR is prioritizing life-saving support, providing shelter, water containers, cooking utensils and hygiene and sanitary kits.
Last year, UNHCR launched the Strategic Framework for Climate Action and laid out our response
to the growing, global climate emergency. Our climate action is focused on three main areas:
1. Law and Policy
We provide legal advice, guidance and support to the international community,
so we can develop better protection for refugees and displaced people in the
realms of disasters and climate change, and catalyse international discussions on their rights
2. Operations
We strive to improve the predictability of our engagement through strong partnerships,
to anticipate and prepare for emergencies brought on by climate-related hazards and other natural disasters.
Pakistan – Providing Cash Assistance + Emergency Relief
Afghan refugee Bahadur, 60, takes shelter in a UNHCR tent with his family after having been displaced by the
monsoon flooding in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.
In late September 2022, UNHCR and its partners began providing cash assistance to the most vulnerable
refugee households directly affected by the deadly floods.
We also helped light some 2,000 refugee housing units (RHUs) with portable solar kits,
while raising awareness on protection risks, providing psycho-social support,
family tracing and distributing dignity kits to those in need.
Somalia – Providing Emergency Relief
Over 1,300 households displaced by droughts receive relief items
distributed by UNHCR through its partner in Baidoa.
UNHCR works with partners to deliver water, shelter and other household items
to hundreds of thousands who have fled the combined effects of conflict and drought.
3. UNHCR’s Environmental Footprint
We strive to improve UNHCR’s environmental sustainability by reducing our greenhouse gas
emissions and minimizing negative impacts on the environment.
Jordan – Creating Sustainable Income Sources
“I feel productive and a part of the community through working on this green project ,” says Roqaya,
Syrian refugee volunteering for the hydroponic project.
Syrian refugees in Azraq camp are learning hydroponic farming methods –
using up to 80% less water than traditional methods – to grow food and plants.
Yemen and Ethiopia – Providing Cleaner, Greener Solutions
Bishan Khalif Dhukul, member of the host community and a solar pump cooperative, works on a solar panel in Melkadida, Ethiopia.
In Yemen, UNHCR is funding the work to build sustainable shelters better for the environment.
In Ethiopia, we are working with partners to replace diesel with solar energy to power remote refugee camps.
About UNHCR:
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established on 14 December 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee issues. It strives to ensure that everyone has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another state, with the option to voluntarily return home when conditions are conducive for return, integrate locally or resettle to a third country. UNHCR has twice won the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1954 for its ground-breaking work in helping the refugees of Europe, and in 1981 for its worldwide assistance to refugees.
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