BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 19. Climate-induced
displacement has already surpassed the number of people displaced
by armed conflicts, said Elshad Iskandarov, Azerbaijan’s ambassador
for special assignments at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Trend reports.


Speaking at a panel on climate action for peace held as part of
the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Iskandarov said climate
change is having a severe impact on refugee camps around the
world.


He noted that in the 15 hottest refugee camps globally, people
face extreme weather conditions for around 200 days each year.


Iskandarov warned that the number of climate refugees could
reach 70 million by 2050.


“Already, the number of people displaced due to climate reasons
has exceeded those displaced by conflicts,” he said.


He said Azerbaijan raised the initiative of a “Baku Climate and
Peace Hub” during COP29, aimed at addressing climate solutions in
post-conflict settings while also tackling peacebuilding and
climate finance gaps.


According to Iskandarov, 25 of the 27 most climate-vulnerable
countries are least developed countries, and they face severe
funding shortages.


“These countries receive only a fraction of the climate
adaptation financing they need — roughly 10 times less than
required. In other words, for every $100 needed, they receive only
about $1,” he said.







He added that per capita climate finance also highlights this
disparity: least developed climate-vulnerable countries receive
about $1.9 per person, compared to $18 per person in other
countries.


Iskandarov said the main goal of the Baku initiative is to
mobilize climate finance for conflict-affected and highly
vulnerable countries.


He said the initiative has already gained significant
international support, including from countries such as the United
Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Egypt, Uganda and the United Arab
Emirates.


He added that around 300 peacebuilding organizations, 40 states,
and dozens of UN agencies, multilateral development banks and
climate funds have also joined or supported the initiative.


WUF13 is being held in Baku from May 17 to 22 under cooperation
between the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
and the Government of Azerbaijan.


The forum brings together governments, experts, communities and
international partners to discuss major global housing and
sustainable urban development challenges under the theme “Housing
for All: Safe and Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements.”