UNHCH tents in the Jordanian desert, Al Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan
“My name is Aya, and I am 32 years old. I was born in southern Syria, near Daraa. My family worked in agriculture, and at 18, I married a local farmer. We lived a modest life, but we always had enough to eat.
Things started changing in 2009 after a year of poor harvests, followed by an even worse year. We had no choice but to move north, where my husband had relatives near Raqqa. By then, we had two children, and I was pregnant with our third. After a few weeks, my husband found work on a farm outside the city, but living costs were rising rapidly. The price of gasoline and bread skyrocketed.
One day, I realized I could no longer afford to buy bread. I had to wake up early and bake it myself. I didn’t understand what was happening, but I knew something was wrong. We had always managed to buy what we needed, and now I couldn’t even go to the bakery. Prices kept rising, and more and more people left the countryside for the city, seeking work as the drought devastated farms.”
Aya shared her story from a tiny room where she lived with her family: three mattresses on the floor, a small stove for cooking, two young children napping, and the older ones playing outside.
The Hidden Crisis of Climate Displacement
Aya’s experience is not an isolated tragedy—it is part of a growing, global phenomenon. From 2005 to 2011, Syria experienced one of the worst droughts in its history. Over 1.5 million people, mostly from rural farming communities, were forced to migrate to urban areas. The drought wiped out 60% of the country’s agriculture and 80% of its livestock, triggering food shortages, economic collapse, and widespread displacement. While climate change did not directly cause the Syrian civil war, experts agree that the environmental crisis was a key factor in the social unrest that followed.
This pattern is repeating itself across the globe. In Somalia, recurrent droughts have displaced over 1.4 million people. In Ethiopia and Kenya, prolonged dry spells have devastated crops and livestock. In West Africa, countries like Chad and Senegal are grappling with desertification and erratic rainfall, forcing families to abandon their homes in search of survival.
A Global Crisis: Beyond the Headlines
The scale of climate-induced displacement is staggering. In 2023 alone, over 26.4 million people were displaced by disasters—98% of them due to climate-related events. The World Bank warns that by 2050, more than 216 million people could become internal climate migrants, with Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America being the most affected regions.
In Africa, where over 60% of the population relies on rain-fed agriculture, the stakes are especially high. Rising temperatures, land salinization, and erratic rainfall are destroying livelihoods and pushing people into cities that are ill-equipped to absorb them. The African Development Bank has warned that without urgent adaptation, climate-induced displacement could overwhelm urban infrastructure and deepen poverty. Similarly, UNESCO highlights how climate change is reshaping life across the continent, threatening both ecosystems and human security.
In the Indian Ocean region, including parts of South Asia and East Africa, both sudden-onset disasters and slow-onset processes like sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion are rendering entire communities uninhabitable. Evidence from Oxford University Press shows how populations in these regions are already facing displacement without formal protection.
ACNUR Camp providing refuge for Syrians in the Jordanian desert
Yet, despite the growing urgency, most climate-displaced people remain within their own countries and fall outside the legal definition of a refugee—leaving them without formal protection or support.
The Need for Resilience and Systemic Change
The silent exodus driven by climate change is not merely an environmental issue—it is a profound humanitarian crisis. It exposes deep-rooted inequalities, systemic injustices, and the fragility of human rights in the face of environmental collapse. Aya’s story is a stark reminder that the destruction of livelihoods and the erosion of stability do not affect all people equally. Those who contribute the least to global emissions are often the ones who suffer the most, caught in a cycle of vulnerability, displacement, and marginalization.
Syrian children living in the refugee camp in Jordan
To confront this crisis, we must move beyond short-term responses and embrace a long-term, collective vision. Reducing global emissions is essential, but it is only one part of the solution. We must also invest in adaptation strategies that protect communities from the worst impacts of climate change—strategies that restore degraded land, secure food and water systems, and strengthen local economies. At the same time, we need to recognize and support those who are already displaced, even if they do not fit neatly into existing legal categories. UNHCR emphasizes that climate-displaced people deserve protection, dignity, and the opportunity to rebuild their lives.
This transformation requires more than funding—it demands systemic change. It calls for inclusive policies that empower local communities, particularly women and youth, to lead in building resilience. It requires governments and institutions to integrate climate mobility into national development plans and to ensure that climate justice is not an afterthought but a guiding principle. Reuters Institute further notes the importance of effective media coverage in raising awareness, pointing out the current challenges faced by journalists in East Africa.
Education, access to information, and the amplification of local voices are critical to this effort, especially in regions where climate impacts are most severe and least reported.
The urgency of the moment cannot be overstated. The longer we delay, the more lives will be uprooted, and the harder it will be to restore stability. But there is still time to act.
The clock is ticking, and the growing crisis demands immediate attention. It’s not too late to act, but collective, coordinated, and courageous action is critical. Through united global efforts, we can protect the most vulnerable, address the root causes of displacement, and pave the way for a future that is sustainable, just, and inclusive for all.
Aya’s story is one among millions. Let it be a wake-up call—not just to the reality of climate displacement, but to the responsibility we all share in shaping a safer, more equitable world.