Letter to Editor from the CEO of the international disaster relief charity, ShelterBox

Extreme weather could destroy 167 million homes around the world by 2040. It’s the equivalent of all the homes in the UK wiped out six times over.

The UK Government owes it to every generation to make courageous decisions and take urgent action to slow down the impact of climate change.

At ShelterBox, a charity specialising in emergency shelter after disaster, we see the impact human-driven global heating is having on the lives of people we’re helping across the world.

In the Horn of Africa, we’re responding to the worst drought to hit the region in more than forty years. In Pakistan, we’re helping people affected by severe monsoon flooding that has washed away lives, homes, and livelihoods.

We must recognise the human crisis in front of us and provide emergency shelter to help millions of people facing climate disasters right now and support vulnerable communities against future disasters.

Extreme weather uproots people, only for them to be displaced again and again – like in the Philippines, or the Lake Chad Basin where people are caught between conflict and climate.

Instead of cutting spending to humanitarian aid, the UK has to work together with global leaders to share technology, knowledge, and funding, and prioritise climate resilience.

The UK has been a leader on these issues in the past and it can be again. This is not the time to delay – clear resolve, strong leadership, and bold action is needed.

Sanj Srikanthan

CEO ShelterBox