Immigration

UN Wants Nearly $3 Billion For Migrants ‘Displaced’ By Climate Change

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The United Nations International Office of Migration (IOM) has set a $2.7 billion fundraising goal for 2024 to help migrants displaced by climate change, the agency announced Monday.

The IOM has set a total fundraising goal of $7.9 billion to help roughly 140 million people, of which the nearly $3 billion will be spent on providing “solutions to displacement including reducing the risks and impacts of climate change,” according to the UN. The UN refugee agency claims that in 2022, 84% of refugees and migrants seeking asylum fled from highly “climate-vulnerable “countries, compared to 61% in 2010

Climate refugees are defined by the UN as those fleeing “persecution, violence and human rights violations occurring in relation to the adverse effects of climate change and disasters.”

“Irregular and forced migration have reached unprecedented levels and the challenges we face are increasingly complex,” IOM Director General Amy Pope said in a statement Monday.

“The evidence is overwhelming that migration, when well-managed, is a major contributor to global prosperity and progress. We are at a critical moment in time, and we have designed this Appeal to help deliver on that promise. We can and must do better,” Pope said.

IOM is seeking funding from foreign governments, private groups and donors, Pope said.

“This funding will address the large and widening gap between what we have, and what we need in order to do the job right. For this reason, we are for the first time proactively approaching all partners to fund this vital appeal,” Pope said.

International law doesn’t officially recognize climate refugees or asylees, according to the UN. The 1951 Refugee Convention allows for the granting of protections for individuals fleeing war, violence, conflict or persecution.