CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT BEYOND THE DIVIDE IN CYPRUS: A CALL FOR A COLLABORATIVE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AGENDA TO ADDRESS THE MIGRATION CRISES IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN

The report examines the migration crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean, highlighting the interconnectedness of forced displacement with climate change, energy poverty, water scarcity, and healthcare deficits. It focuses on Cyprus as a primary destination for asylum seekers, detailing the strain on infrastructure in the south and the lack of legal frameworks in the north. The author proposes a bi-communal strategy, including a joint Rapid Response Committee and a reception center in the UN Buffer Zone, to manage these transnational human security threats through cooperation between Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.

• Migration in the Mediterranean is driven by a complex blend of voluntary and forced movements, including armed conflicts, persecution, climate change, demographic pressures, and structural poverty.
• The Mediterranean is a highly perilous migration route; between 2014 and 2020, over 21,200 deaths were attributed to migration, and as of October 26, 2023, 28,196 migrants have been recorded as missing since 2014.
• Climate change acts as a catalyst for forced migration in the Mediterranean, with predictions of higher temperatures, more frequent heatwaves, and reduced rainfall in the region.
• There is a critical 'migration-energy nexus' where displaced populations lack basic power; only 10 percent of refugees have access to Tier 1-2 electricity (four hours of power daily).
• Cyprus faces severe pressure as a migration hub, with the Republic of Cyprus registering 8,092 new asylum applications between January and September 2023 and hosting 18,836 Ukrainian refugees under temporary protection.
• Reception facilities in southern Cyprus are severely overcrowded; the Pournara Reception Center, designed for 350 people, hosted approximately 2,000 people by November 2023, leading to inadequate access to electricity, heating, and water.
• Northern Cyprus lacks a legal system for granting asylum, often resulting in the detention and swift deportation of irregular migrants, with the UNHCR providing only unofficial 'letters of protection'.
• The report proposes two primary collaborative strategies for Cyprus: the establishment of a Bi-communal Rapid Response Committee and the creation of a joint-governance reception center in the UN Buffer Zone.

APA

Sülün, E. E. (2023). CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT BEYOND THE DIVIDE IN CYPRUS: A CALL FOR A COLLABORATIVE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AGENDA TO ADDRESS THE MIGRATION CRISES IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/e41841f4-84ec-49d3-ade5-721dd1a4cee3/Beyond the divide in Cyprus EESulun.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Sülün, Emine E. CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT BEYOND THE DIVIDE IN CYPRUS: A CALL FOR A COLLABORATIVE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AGENDA TO ADDRESS THE MIGRATION CRISES IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2023. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/e41841f4-84ec-49d3-ade5-721dd1a4cee3/Beyond the divide in Cyprus EESulun.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sülün |first1=Emine E. |title=CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT BEYOND THE DIVIDE IN CYPRUS: A CALL FOR A COLLABORATIVE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AGENDA TO ADDRESS THE MIGRATION CRISES IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=December 2023 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/e41841f4-84ec-49d3-ade5-721dd1a4cee3/Beyond the divide in Cyprus EESulun.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sln2023climate, author = {Sülün, Emine E.}, title = {{CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT BEYOND THE DIVIDE IN CYPRUS: A CALL FOR A COLLABORATIVE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AGENDA TO ADDRESS THE MIGRATION CRISES IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2023}, month = dec, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/e41841f4-84ec-49d3-ade5-721dd1a4cee3/Beyond the divide in Cyprus EESulun.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }