The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said, on Friday, that “climate-related disasters have killed 17,242 people since the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the world, and affected the lives of at least 139.2 million people.”
This came in a tweet by Francesco Rocca, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Friday.
He added that “the new report issued by (IFRC) and the Climate Center of the Red Cross and Red Crescent warns that the Coronavirus and climate crises have worked hand-in-hand to increase human suffering.”
“The world is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, as climate change and the Corona pandemic push societies to make their utmost efforts,” said Rocca, who presented the new report at a press conference in New York on Thursday.
The new data indicates that “658.1 million people who are primarily at risk for several reasons, including advanced age, have been exposed to extreme temperatures this year.”
“In the run-up to the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference, known as COP26, we urge world leaders to take immediate action not only to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also to address the current and imminent human impacts of climate change,” he added.
The relief official pointed out that “the massive spending on recovering from the Coronavirus proves that governments can act quickly in the face of global threats.”
“It is time to turn words into action and devote the same energy to the climate crisis… Every day, we witness the impact of man-made climate change… The crisis is here, and we must act now,” Rocca concluded.
The COP26 conference will be held in Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, from October 31 to November 21.
