Following my earlier copyedit, I proofread this major joint report from the Norwegian Red Cross and ICRC.
In their work with communities in conflict-affected areas of the Near and Middle East, the report says, Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers and staff experience first-hand the compound impacts of climate change, environmental degradation and protracted armed conflict. These mutually reinforcing crises exacerbate humanitarian needs.
High temperatures and scarce fresh water supplies, drought and intense rainfall are increasingly common. Protracted conflicts undermine institutional capacity in environmental governance and have taken a toll on natural resources in the region. Access to clean water is becoming more difficult every day and livelihoods systems are disrupted. Health impacts such as malnutrition, waterborne diseases and respiratory illnesses are worryingly on the rise.
With examples from Iraq, Syria and Yemen, the report sets out the scale of the crises and the room to manoeuvre for the humanitarian community. Climate action, it finds, remains extremely weak in areas affected by armed conflict, while the current distribution of climate finance almost entirely excludes the most fragile and unstable places.
