By Abbas Nazil
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has urged governments to strengthen climate action and increase funding for conflict-affected countries, warning that millions of vulnerable people risk being left behind as global warming intensifies humanitarian crises.
In a call ahead of the COP31 climate summit, the humanitarian organisation asked countries to accelerate greenhouse gas emission reductions, formally recognise the vulnerability of conflict-affected communities and ensure climate finance reaches areas experiencing armed conflict and fragility.
The ICRC said people living in conflict zones face some of the most severe consequences of climate change but often have the fewest resources and the least institutional support to prepare for and recover from climate-related disasters.
It noted that armed conflict weakens essential services, infrastructure, governance and economic systems, making communities less capable of coping with extreme weather events, water shortages, food insecurity and other climate-related challenges.
The organisation stressed that climate change does not directly cause conflict, but the combination of environmental pressures and insecurity can deepen existing vulnerabilities and make humanitarian needs more difficult to address.
The ICRC called on parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to take urgent political action to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, strengthen adaptation measures and address losses and damage associated with climate impacts.
Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries committed to keeping global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees.
However, the ICRC warned that the world remains off course, with the 1.5-degree threshold likely to be exceeded within the next decade, increasing the risks facing vulnerable populations.
It said continued warming would intensify climate extremes and compound humanitarian emergencies, threatening homes, infrastructure, livelihoods and access to essential resources.
The organisation also called for conflict-affected and fragile countries to be explicitly recognised in official COP outcome documents as particularly vulnerable to climate risks because of their limited capacity to adapt.
According to the ICRC, more than half of the countries considered most vulnerable to climate change and least prepared to adapt are experiencing armed conflict.
It said formal recognition of these challenges would help direct international support towards communities whose needs are often overlooked in global climate policies and financing arrangements.
The ICRC pointed to the COP28 Declaration on Climate, Relief, Recovery and Peace as an important step towards acknowledging the need for stronger climate action in conflict settings, urging governments to translate existing commitments into practical results.
It further warned that climate finance remains inadequate in fragile and conflict-affected areas because donors and funding institutions often face difficulties delivering long-term programmes in unstable environments.
Some communities, particularly those living in territories outside government control, may be excluded from climate funding because of restrictive risk-management requirements, leaving them without the resources needed to prepare for climate-related disasters.
The organisation said these barriers must be addressed through more flexible funding arrangements, tailored risk assessments and eligibility criteria that reflect rapidly changing conditions in conflict zones.
It recommended that climate finance, particularly funding for adaptation, should be provided mainly through grants or highly concessional arrangements to prevent vulnerable countries from accumulating additional debt.
The ICRC also urged governments to ensure that funding for emissions reduction, adaptation and addressing climate-related losses and damage is sufficient, accessible and appropriate for the needs of conflict-affected communities.
It stressed that climate action must reach people across the full spectrum of conflict and fragility rather than being concentrated in areas where funding is easier to deliver.
The call comes as countries prepare for COP31, where governments are expected to discuss international climate commitments and financing.
The ICRC maintained that stronger emissions reduction efforts, recognition of the specific vulnerabilities of conflict-affected populations and accessible climate finance are essential to strengthening resilience, meeting humanitarian needs and preventing climate shocks from deepening existing fragility.
