Climate change is deepening hunger and fuelling conflict in some of the world’s most fragile regions, according to a new report released ahead of Earth Day by international aid organisation World Vision.
The report, “Triple Threat: Climate change, conflict, and hunger endangering children’s lives,” shows that climate change is contributing to hunger in 12 fragile countries—including Afghanistan, Somalia, Syria, and the Central American Dry Corridor. Climate-driven disasters such as drought, floods, and heatwaves are intensifying resource scarcity and social tensions, triggering displacement and worsening hunger and conflict.
Nearly 90% of surveyed communities say climate change poses a serious threat, with over 80% directly linking climate shocks to increased food insecurity. Particularly alarming, communities in Afghanistan and Syria report near-universal experiences of drought and water scarcity exacerbating local conflicts. The greater the climate impacts on a family’s food security, the higher their risk of experiencing conflict.
“Failure to take care of God’s creation has left the world’s most vulnerable children facing a dire situation,” says Amanda Rives, Senior Director, Disaster Management at World Vision International. “The combined effects of violence, climate change, and hunger are intersecting in alarming ways, trapping vulnerable children and their families in a vicious cycle. We need urgent, coordinated global action to prevent millions more from slipping into devastating cycles of hunger and conflict.”
The report highlights severe underfunding for climate adaptation in conflict-affected countries, with nations like Somalia receiving less than 1% of the climate financing required. This leaves the most vulnerable communities unable to cope with increasingly severe climate impacts.
“As we mark Earth Day, this report is a sobering reminder that climate change is not just an environmental issue—it’s a human crisis impacting lives, livelihoods, and futures. It’s imperative that the international community steps up to protect the world’s most vulnerable from these preventable tragedies,” Rives said.
