India — humanitarian situation

India faces concurrent humanitarian challenges driven by severe monsoon flooding across multiple states and ongoing displacement from Myanmar. Beginning 19 July 2026, exceptionally heavy monsoonal rainfall—reaching up to 490% above normal levels in parts of Upper Assam—triggered widespread flooding that expanded rapidly through late July and early August IFRC. As of early August, Assam reported 87 deaths and over 705,000 people affected, with Sivasagar the worst-hit district, while Odisha faced one of its largest flood emergencies in recent years affecting 864,000 people across 22 districts (HAI, Sphere India). Kerala and other states also reported significant impacts, with thousands displaced to temporary shelters and unable to return home after losing houses, livestock, and belongings. The region hosts refugees from Myanmar, with UNHCR tracking route-based data through end-July 2026, though specific figures for India were not detailed in available reports. Agricultural impacts are severe and prolonged. In Assam alone, 56,606 hectares of agricultural land have been affected, with large areas covered by sand and silt rendering cultivation difficult for coming seasons HAI. Many affected communities, particularly those not traditionally flood-prone, lost homes and agricultural land entirely, creating a recovery crisis extending beyond immediate relief needs. Global agricultural uncertainty compounds local impacts, as continued disruptions in fuel and fertilizer markets linked to the Middle East crisis and forecasts of a strong El Niño event threaten production during critical crop growth stages WFP. El Niño conditions are already the strongest on record for this time of year, with above-normal rainfall forecast from northern Africa to the central Middle East while a dry signal may persist over India and Pakistan toward the close of monsoon season FAO. Response efforts focus on both immediate relief and early recovery. WFP India promotes climate resilience through over 60 plant clinics organized at the Climate Adaptation Information Centre in Assam, connecting smallholder farmers with experts under the ENACT-Assam project WFP. UNICEF provided life-saving services to 2.3 million crisis-affected people across South Asia, including 1.9 million children, addressing health, nutrition, WASH, education, and child protection needs while strengthening national preparedness UNICEF. Humanitarian organizations emphasize that thousands of families remain unable to return to normal life, with homes buried under silt and debris, limited access to safe water and sanitation, and many households continuing to live in temporary shelters with little means to recover HAI.