The Climate Crisis is a Refugee Crisis—And the World Is Failing Us
Uganda is one of the most refugee-hosting countries in the world. Right now, we have over 1.5 million refugees within our borders. Many of them are fleeing conflicts, but let’s not kid ourselves—climate change is fueling those conflicts. In South Sudan, droughts have turned fertile lands into dust bowls, sparking fights over resources. In Somalia, rising temperatures and failed rains have pushed farmers and pastoralists to the brink. These people aren’t just fleeing war—they’re fleeing starvation, dehydration, and the collapse of their livelihoods.
Denise Ayebare
2/4/20254 min read


Let me tell you something that no one wants to hear: the climate crisis is already here, and it’s not just about polar bears or melting ice caps. It’s about people. It’s about survival. And as a Ugandan, I can tell you—it’s about us. We are living on the frontlines of a disaster that we did not create, and yet, we are the ones paying the price.
Let’s get one thing straight: the climate crisis is a refugee crisis. And if you think this doesn’t affect you, you’re either not paying attention or you’re choosing to look away. But I’m not here to sugarcoat anything. I’m here to tell you the bitter, uncomfortable truth.
Uganda: A Host Nation Drowning in a Crisis We Didn’t Create
Uganda is one of the most refugee-hosting countries in the world. Right now, we have over 1.5 million refugees within our borders. Many of them are fleeing conflicts, but let’s not kid ourselves—climate change is fueling those conflicts. In South Sudan, droughts have turned fertile lands into dust bowls, sparking fights over resources. In Somalia, rising temperatures and failed rains have pushed farmers and pastoralists to the brink. These people aren’t just fleeing war—they’re fleeing starvation, dehydration, and the collapse of their livelihoods.
And where do they go? To countries like Uganda, which is already struggling with its own climate challenges. Our lakes are shrinking, our crops are failing, and our people are suffering. Yet, we open our doors. Why? Because we understand what it means to have nowhere else to go. But here’s the kicker: while we’re busy hosting the world’s displaced, the world is busy ignoring the root cause of the problem.
The Hypocrisy of the Global North
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the Global North. The United States, Europe, and China—these are the countries that have been pumping carbon into the atmosphere for centuries, reaping the benefits of industrialization while the rest of us pay the price. Together, they account for over 50% of global emissions. And yet, when it comes to helping those affected by climate change, they’re nowhere to be found.
Where is the funding for climate adaptation? Where is the support for countries like Uganda, which are hosting climate refugees by the millions? The Green Climate Fund, which was supposed to provide $100 billion annually to help developing nations, is still falling short. And let’s not even get started on the broken promises of COP summits, where world leaders make grand speeches and then go home and do nothing.
It’s hypocrisy at its finest. The countries that caused this crisis are the least affected by it, and the countries that did the least to cause it are the ones suffering the most. If that doesn’t make you angry, I don’t know what will.
Climate Refugees Don’t Exist—And That’s the Problem
Here’s another hard truth: climate refugees don’t exist. At least, not in the eyes of the law. The 1951 Refugee Convention, which defines who is eligible for asylum, doesn’t recognize climate change as a valid reason for displacement. So, when a farmer in Somalia is forced to flee because his land has turned to desert, he has no legal protection. When a family in Bangladesh loses their home to rising sea levels, they have no right to asylum.
This isn’t just a legal gap—it’s a moral failure. We are living in a world where the rules were written for a different time, and they are failing us. Climate change is the defining crisis of our generation, and yet, the international system is acting like it doesn’t exist.
What Needs to Happen
I’m not here to just rant (although I could). I’m here to demand action. Here’s what needs to happen:
1. Recognize Climate Refugees: The international community must update the Refugee Convention to include climate displacement. This is not optional—it’s essential.
2. Pay Up: Wealthy nations must fulfill their financial commitments to the Green Climate Fund. This is not charity—it’s reparations.
3. Cut Emissions—Now: We need drastic, immediate cuts to greenhouse gas emissions. No more empty promises. No more delays.
4. Listen to the Global South: The people most affected by climate change are the ones with the least voice in global decision-making. That needs to change.
This isn’t just about politics or policy for me—it’s personal. I’ve seen the faces of climate refugees. I’ve heard their stories. I’ve watched as they’ve struggled to rebuild their lives in a world that seems to have forgotten them. And I’ve had enough.
The climate crisis is not just an environmental issue—it’s a human issue. It’s about justice. It’s about survival. And it’s about time we started treating it that way.
So, to the leaders of the Global North: your inaction is costing lives. To the international community: your silence is complicity. And to everyone else: this is not someone else’s problem. This is our problem. And if we don’t act now, it will be too late.
The bitter truth is this: the climate crisis is a refugee crisis, and the world is failing us. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We can still change course—but only if we have the courage to face the truth and the will to act.
What side of history will you be on?