Flooded and Forgotten: Northeast India Faces Humanitarian Emergency Amid Relentless Rains

As the floodwaters rise and landslides continue to devastate the Northeast, the region is facing what many are calling a humanitarian emergency. In Assam, where more than 5 lakh people have been affected in just a few days, the situation is critical. Add to that over 700 landslides across nearby states, and the full extent of the disaster becomes staggering.

Human Toll Mounts

Eight more people were confirmed dead on Monday in Assam due to drowning, landslides, and house collapses, bringing the regional death toll to 36. This includes children and the elderly, many of whom were caught unprepared by the rapid rise of water.

Entire communities have been wiped off the map. In rural Assam, families have lost not only their homes but their livelihoods. Crops have been destroyed, cattle swept away, and essential supplies have been lost. People are now living in makeshift tents and schools converted into relief shelters.

Infrastructural Breakdown

In addition to the physical destruction of roads, railways, and power lines, many remote villages are now completely cut off. Emergency workers are having difficulty reaching them, even with the support of helicopters and boats.

Major highways in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur are blocked due to landslides. Rescue efforts are ongoing, but with monsoon rains expected to continue, the window for safe operations is narrowing.

Government Initiatives and Aid Delivery

In Assam, state officials are on high alert, monitoring embankments and dam levels. Relief camps have been set up, and medical teams have been deployed to prevent the outbreak of waterborne diseases.

The Indian Air Force has air-dropped food packets in areas unreachable by land. The Prime Minister’s Office has promised financial aid, while disaster management agencies are working 24/7 to handle rescue, relief, and rehabilitation.

Still, aid workers report significant gaps. “We are facing shortages of clean water, baby food, and sanitary supplies,” said a volunteer working in Hojai district. “People are surviving on rice and salt.”

A Call for Sustainable Planning

Environmentalists and climate scientists are urging long-term solutions. Many of the affected areas are prone to natural disasters, and unplanned urbanization has only made them more vulnerable. Experts recommend better floodplain zoning, reforestation, and improved drainage systems.

With rains forecasted to continue for the next few days, people are bracing for worse to come. Yet amid despair, stories of resilience are emerging—of neighbors helping neighbors, of youth forming rescue squads, and of communities coming together against the odds.