Cyclone Remal Leaves 2.5 Million Displaced in Northeast India

In the summer of 2024, Northeast India faced its most severe natural disaster in over a decade. Between May and July, Cyclone Remal struck the state of Assam, followed by two months of relentless downpours. The flooding that ensued devastated homes, crops, and critical infrastructure across 19 districts, many along the Brahmaputra River.

By July 2024, the disaster had displaced approximately 2.5 million people in Assam, accounting for nearly half of India's 5.4 million natural disaster-linked displacements that year - the highest number in 12 years. While the aim is to eventually return displaced populations to their homes, this is becoming increasingly difficult as the impacts of climate change continue to intensify.

Experts warn that such extreme weather events are set to become more frequent and severe. India's densely populated coasts, river deltas, and vulnerable mountain regions are particularly at risk. The marginalised and devastated in one part of the country often become the marginalised and twice-devastated somewhere else, as they are forced to migrate and face new climate hazards. Addressing this crisis will require a comprehensive, anticipatory approach to climate adaptation and resettlement policies.