More people have been forced to flee their homes because of drought and other natural disasters caused by climate change than by armed conflict, and the scale of human displacement is growing every year, experts said during a Human Rights Council panel discussion on the adverse effects of climate change.

“Climate change threatens us all, but it is women and girls who often suffer its harshest and most violent consequences,” said Michele Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights during a panel discussion that explored the nexus between climate change and violence against women and girls at the 50th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.