Global News_A very high 20 percent increase from last year has been observed in the number of Internally Displaced Persons around the world. The number reached a record high of 71.1 million people worldwide with unabated man-made disasters and natural disasters to blame. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) detailed that the Russia-Ukraine war, border conflicts, and floods in countries in South Asia in particular, pushed the statistics up unprecedentedly, seeing record numbers of people fleeing their homes, seeking safety and shelter.
While the Russia-Ukraine war has been significantly instrumental in increasing the number of IDPs, 32.6 million people were displaced due to natural disasters including drought, landslides, and floods.
Russia had its share of natural disasters too with widespread wildfires in the Ural mountains taking both life and limb. There has been an increased risk of fires around the world given the climbing temperatures which intensifies the risk of severe fires. This points to the cascading problem of vegetation drying out which then leads to crop shortages, food insecurity, and eventual economic crises.
There’s no getting away from the havoc climate change is causing on humanity. Some countries grapple with two weeks’ worth of rain in just a few hours; others have no time to prepare for monsoons as climate change no longer respects calendars but rather brings on the downpours whenever the weather gods command it to, leaving crops ruined, cattle impaired and homes in shambles.
Just as it floods, so does it heat up, with temperatures climbing sky-high and drought now commonplace. Summers are way hotter than ever experienced and winters either much colder than ever expected or come in way after the winter season is over. The patterns now are much less predictable which also means the hotter the weather, the more pressure on freshwater resources. There is also evidence that high-intensity cyclones in the Arabian Sea, resulting from climate change will have massive impacts on the countries in those geographical areas.
The cost of health is ravaging. Women and children become pawns in the climate change formula. It is they who face the four Cs and carry the load of being IDPs. The four Cs are conflict, climate change, COVID-19, and the cost of living crisis. Preterm births become commonplace as does malnutrition and underdeveloped children. Women are primary caregivers and when crises hit, it is they who are forced to find the solution – and in this case, a safe place of shelter for the family, even if it means walking miles with your belongings on your back to another country that most often, is most unwelcoming!
