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Ignoring the Paris Agreement will have deadly consequences warns British Red Cross

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According to extensive data analysed by the Red Cross, over the past decade:

  • In the past decade there were 2,850 disasters triggered by natural hazards, and 2,355 (83%) of these were climate and weather related. The most frequent were floods (1,298), followed by storms (589).
  • Together, these disasters killed more than 410,000 people and affected a staggering 1.7 billion people.
  • Disasters during the first 6 months of COVID-19 in 2020:
  • More than 100 disasters occurred, including drought in Southern and Eastern Africa and flooding in Bangladesh
  • More than 50 million people have been affected
  • More than 10 different disasters affected over 250,000 people

Today:

Floods affect more people than any other natural hazard. 147 million people may be at risk of flooding by 2030.

On the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, charity calls for strengthening of commitment to landmark environmental accord

Commenting on tomorrow’s Climate Ambition Summit 2020, Zoe Abrams, Executive Director of Communications & Advocacy at British Red Cross says:

“Five years on from the Paris Agreement, more must still be done as year on year the climate crisis kills thousands of people and devastates the lives and livelihoods of millions. The recent International Federation of the Red Cross Disasters Report shows that in the last decade a staggering 1.7 billion people have been hit by climate change disasters.

“As part of the world’s largest humanitarian network, we respond year-round to extreme weather events like monsoons, typhoons, flooding and severe drought. We are experts at responding to crisis and believe it is possible to prevent emergencies from becoming disasters, but not while a gap exists between global promises and implementation.

“That is why the Climate Ambition Summit is vital and we urge global leaders to strengthen commitment to support vulnerable communities across the world that are most impacted by the climate crisis. Malnourished children whose families’ livelihoods have been wiped out by drought, families made homeless by devastating cyclones overseas, and vulnerable people who are affected by increasing flooding right here in the UK need our help, and fast”.

-ENDS-

Vicci Moyles
Media Team
British Red Cross

T: 07879 680068
E: viccimoyles@redcross.org.uk