By Amali Tower, Founder, Executive Director, Climate Refugees, USA

Sudanese refugees are dying from extreme heat while fleeing war. This was the reality for at least 80 refugees who were attempting to seek protection in Egypt, but died in early June when temperatures hit nearly 50 degrees Celsius in Aswan.

In fact, a months-long global heatwave is impacting lives on at least four continents, where hundreds of deaths have been recorded in India, Greece, Mexico and beyond.

Over the past year, 6.3 billion people have experienced at least 31 days of extreme heat. This is an impact of climate change, made at least two times more likely because of human actions. Everyone is vulnerable to the health hazards of extreme heat that can produce everything from dizziness and headaches to more deadly symptoms like dehydration and heatstroke. Heatstroke has led to at least 110 deaths and 40,000 suspected cases in India alone this year.

The very young, the very old, outdoor laborers, the poor and marginalised are at greatest risk to extreme heat. So, too, are migrants, displaced persons and refugees.

In a pattern that repeats year upon year, a 45-year-old Mexican migrant died in June from heatstroke as he attempted to migrate irregularly through the Chihuahua desert to the United States. Highly securitised US border policies render the US-Mexico journey the deadliest land route for migrants worldwide, where heatstroke has already contributed to 77 migrant deaths this year, according to US Border Patrol.

Research reveals extreme heat is also a threat to those living in camps and temporary settlements, where an increase in the frequency and length of heatwaves has been documented over a 30-year period. Settlements are situated in difficult and unforgiving terrains, exposing millions of displaced persons to extreme heat. Life in tents and tin shacks exacerbate extreme heat conditions. During a heatwave in Syria last year, one displaced woman described the conditions as living “inside an oven, struggling to breathe due to the heat inside the tent.”

Reflective of why many migrants are vulnerable to smugglers, countries are increasingly utilising migration deterrence measures. This is especially true for Global North countries, like those in the European Union and the US. Reflecting the outflow of civilians, Egypt now enforces a visa requirement for Sudanese nationals fleeing war. Thus, people on the move are particularly vulnerable to extreme climate impacts because of border closures and visa restrictions, and also, because settlements are located in countries most vulnerable to climate change.

Governments and relevant service agencies have a duty to uphold international human rights obligations to protect people from heat, including making efforts to protect migrants, refugees and displaced persons. Some measures that are imperative in the era of the climate crisis, include:

Ensure access to cool environments during a heatwave. In camps and temporary settlements, this must include access to cooling centres, especially for the elderly and vulnerable, air conditioning, shaded areas, or well-staffed public centres where ventilation, shaded cover, water distribution and other protections can be administered.

Adopt migration and border policies in line with climate realities. Governments must realise that border restrictions do not deter many migrants who, for a variety of reasons, have no choice but to move, even during dangerous climate conditions. Especially during deadly heatwaves, States must work with interlocutors to facilitate movement within transboundary corridors.

Ensure that people on the move are informed of heat advisories, imminent risks and emergency assistance is made available along transboundary land routes. Warnings and assistance provisions should be made available in relevant migrant languages and take into account pre-literate populations and people without access to technology.

Ensuring Just Tech principles, host countries and service agencies must utilise remote sensing to map, assess and monitor the environmental and climate hazards in refugee and displaced person settlements. This is crucial to protect the needs of exposed communities and to better plan and manage increasing risks.

Support further research on the extreme heat-migration nexus in order to respond to current migration flows and anticipate future movements. This includes facilitating migration – including seasonal and temporary migration – as an adaptation measure to extreme climate impacts, including heat while supporting host communities in need of labour and other benefits of migration.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of AIDMI.