UNHCR amplifies voices of displaced on frontlines of climate change

Actor and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Theo James kicked the campaign off at the COP29 Climate Conference in Baku, alongside a group of eight displaced people with first-hand knowledge of how the climate crisis is impacting families.

The actor has been lending his voice to UNHCR’s urgent call to address the impact of record rising temperatures on displaced communities.

Passionate about climate activism, the refugees taking part in the initiative will be advocating for climate justice and demanding a voice in policy discussions.

The Refugees for Climate Action group was initially convened in 2023 by UNHCR to create a space where refugees and displaced communities on the frontlines of climate change could share their unique experiences and knowledge.

Theo James calls for more action

Following a recent visit to Mauritania, Mr. James said he was committed to supporting their efforts. His own grandfather was a refugee who fled Europe for the safety of Syria during World War Two: “I’ve seen the profound injustice of the climate crisis on refugees, and the urgency is real,” he said.

“Yet, I’ve also seen the resilience of those affected – refugees are finding solutions, and they must be heard”, he added, calling on leaders to put the displaced at the centre of the conversation.

Refugee climate activists

The network brings together refugees and displaced people from countries including Afghanistan, Yemen, Haiti, Bangladesh and Brazil, each with lived experiences of displacement interlinked with conflict and climate change, and who are already driving climate action initiatives in their communities.

“We refugees are on the frontlines of the climate crisis,” said Najeeba Wazefadost, a member of the group and founder of the Asia Pacific Network for Refugees (APNOR) who empowers Afghan women through solar energy to support their businesses.

“For us, climate change is not an abstract threat. It is a daily fight for survival, stability and dignity. We urge leaders to listen to our stories and to take decisive action that includes us, supports our resilience and empowers refugee-led solutions”, added Ms. Wazefadost, who fled Afghanistan in 2000.

Impacts or war and climate emergency

Other members of the group include Mohammed Anowar, a Rohingya refugee based in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, who trains fellow refugees on flood resilience; Eman Al-Hamali, an internally displaced woman from Yemen, who leads a solar microgrid project providing affordable energy to vulnerable households in her community; and Ermano Prévoir, from Haiti, now living in Brazil, who is an agronomist looking at sustainable farming techniques to improve food security.

“As refugees and displaced people, we have intimately witnessed the profound impacts of war on our lives and communities – and now a global climate emergency,” said Opira Bosco Okot, a refugee climate activist living in Uganda, who uses communication technologies to advocate for refugee access to climate policy discussions.

In its first ever climate report released on Tuesday, UNHCR said three out of four forcibly displaced people worldwide - 90 million out of 120 million - lived in countries exposed to high to extreme climate change impacts.

UNHCR commitment

The initiative embodies UNHCR’s commitment to place displaced communities at the centre of climate action. The group will serve as a consultative body on climate issues, contribute to key global and local climate events, and work to ensure that the voices and perspectives of refugees and displaced people are integrated into UNHCR’s work and international climate discussions.

UNHCR provides members of the group with opportunities for training and capacity building, helping them sharpen their advocacy skills and expand their influence in key climate events such as COP29.