Climate deal urgent after weather-linked disasters kill 600,000 in 20 years

Weather-related disasters have grown more frequent over the last 20 years, claiming more than 600,000 lives, the UN said Monday, issuing a further call for nations to strike a landmark deal on climate change.

The report from the United Nations agency for disaster risk reduction (UNISDR) said floods, storms and other extreme weather events have killed 606,000 people since 1995, "with an additional 4.1 billion people injured, left homeless or in need of emergency assistance."

"The contents of this report underline why it is so important that a new climate change agreement emerges from the COP21 in Paris", said UNISDR chief Margareta Wahlstrom referring to crunch climate talks starting November 30.