IFRC calls on Turkey to highlight climate migration at COP31

(MENAFN) Caroline Holt, director of Climate, Disaster and Crisis at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), painted a stark picture of the global climate crisis and stressed Türkiye’s critical role in addressing climate-induced migration as it prepares to host the upcoming UN climate conference, COP31.

Speaking at the Doha Forum, Holt said, “We’re seeing a lot getting more intensified because of climate change. And it’s not just the frequency of those disasters, but actually the intensity.”

She noted that disasters are increasingly compounding, giving communities little time to recover between successive crises.

“So we're seeing more and more of this type of disaster as well,” she added, emphasizing that economic vulnerability exacerbates the problem, with poorer nations often suffering the most.

“People are finding themselves in more economically vulnerable situations. We're finding that those places hit the worst by the climate crisis are most often the more vulnerable countries of the world,” Holt explained. She highlighted that weaker political institutions and support systems make it harder for affected communities to recover, noting, “So we're seeing more and more disasters as a result of climate change that are undermining the systems and the ability of countries and communities themselves to recover.”

Holt stressed that no region is immune to climate impacts. “I think this is the challenge with climate change. It's so unpredictable, and it's absolutely global. But we are definitely seeing more and more countries of Africa, more and more countries of Southeast Asia, and more and more countries of the Americas that are impacted.”

“It's difficult to say that one region is more devastated than another. Climate change does not differentiate, and therefore many countries and many contexts are finding themselves impacted by increasing climate disasters,” she added.

She warned that the humanitarian sector is unprepared for the scale of climate-induced migration expected in coming years. “I think that we're seeing more and more people being displaced as a result of climate. Also, more and more people are being displaced as a result of war and as a result of the economic situation that they find themselves in,” Holt said.

“I don't think that we are collectively prepared at the moment to absorb, to welcome, to support these people who clearly are fleeing disasters to seek safety in other places. We don't have the resources, and unfortunately, at the moment we also are seeing less political will to reach out to those who need the support,” she added.

Looking ahead to 2026, Holt predicted a more challenging year for humanitarian efforts due to declining international funding and political obstacles. “I do expect a more difficult year, and I think part of that is because we see funding has hugely dropped in terms of international cooperation. So, I do see a more difficult time. There is less funding for the humanitarian sector, which means that people are receiving less when actually their needs are growing.”

Holt praised Türkiye for winning the hosting rights for COP31 and highlighted its unique position in addressing climate-related migration. “Türkiye has a lot to say with regard to migration. It is hosting the biggest population of migrants and refugees in the world, and it has a role to play in advocating for these people whether they are fleeing because of climate crisis, economic situations, or conflict, because ultimately all of these things are tied together anyway,” she said.

“Being a bridge for the regions of the world, Türkiye has a really important place in terms of being the voice of those who are at the front of the climate crisis, those who have not contributed most to it but are impacted most by it."

“I think that Türkiye has a very important role to play to advocate on behalf of those people, as it has done for so many years for vulnerable people across the world,” Holt concluded.

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