TDS Desk:

The number of internally displaced people in Bangladesh due to natural disasters has increased for four consecutive years, with around 2.4 million people displaced in 2024. Bangladesh now ranks fifth globally in terms of disaster-related displacement, driven primarily by floods and cyclones.

These findings were presented in the Global Internal Displacement Report 2025, by the Norway-based International Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).

According to the report, about 2.4 million people were displaced in Bangladesh in 2024. The previous year, in 2023, the figure stood at approximately 1.8 million, when Bangladesh also ranked fifth globally.

The report notes a year-on-year increase of 600,000 displaced individuals, marking the third highest annual displacement in the country’s history. The only instances of higher displacement were in 2019 due to severe flooding, and in 2020 due to both flooding and Cyclone Amphan.

In addition to natural disasters, the IDMC reported that 2,800 people in Bangladesh were displaced in 2024 due to conflict and violence.

Last year’s monsoon floods alone displaced 1.3 million people, according to IDMC. In the Sylhet division, 723,000 people were forced to leave their homes in June alone.

The report attributes the worsening flood situation to unplanned urbanisation, poor water absorption capacity of the land, and the obstruction of water flow in drains and canals.

Cyclone Remal, which coincided with the monsoon onset, exacerbated the situation, as multiple rivers carried excessive water at the same time.

Md. Shamsuddoha, CEO of the Center for Participatory Research and Development and a long-time researcher on internal displacement in Bangladesh, said that climate-related disasters are the primary cause of displacement in the country.

He noted that while there are policy frameworks to address such displacement, the scale of the challenge raises concerns about the state’s capacity to handle it alone.

He stressed the need for international assistance, particularly through relevant UN agencies, to support Bangladesh in addressing internal displacement.

This year marks the tenth edition of IDMC’s annual report. It states that a record 83.4 million people were internally displaced worldwide in 2024—nearly double the number recorded in the first such report a decade ago.

Of them, 73.5 million were displaced due to conflict and violence, a 10 per cent increase from 2023. Meanwhile, 9.8 million people were displaced by disasters—a 29 per cent increase from the previous year.

According to the report, the United States recorded the highest number of people displaced by natural disasters at approximately 11 million. The Philippines ranked second with 8.996 million, followed by India with 5.431 million. China stood fourth with 3.926 million displaced.

In terms of conflict and violence, Sudan recorded the highest displacement figure in 2024, with 9.1 million people uprooted. Palestine followed with 3.2 million displaced, nearly 2 million of whom were in the Gaza Strip alone due to Israeli attacks—effectively displacing nearly the entire population of Gaza. Lebanon ranked third with 1.1 million conflict-related displacements.

In a statement, IDMC head Alexandra Bilak said that internal displacement is driven by conflict, poverty, and climate change, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable populations.