Does distribution and type of aid affect internal migration following a cyclone? Evidence from Bangladesh

With the increasing frequency of extreme climatic events, it becomes crucial to understand the impacts of different post-cyclonic aid on human mobility. The identification of post-disaster mobility factors is important for planners to prioritise and respond accordingly. This paper explores the impacts of aid in form of food, cash, and agricultural inputs on internal migration following a series of cyclones on the southern coastal area of Bangladesh. Impacts of sources of aid such as institutional or social network sources were also analysed. 472 households across 16 blocks (moujas) were selected for participation, using a stratified sampling strategy. Data were captured via a survey which included individual and household-level demographic, migration, and aid-receipt following cyclones. Data were analysed using a mixture of descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Multinomial logistic regression revealed that migration was significantly higher among households which did not receive institutional food aid. More specifically, non-receipt of food aid and cash aid after a cyclone, different sources of income, non-availability of alternative sources of income, lack of land ownership, and severity of cyclone increased migration among the households where a minority of household members migrated. In contrast, non-receipt of food aid and severity of cyclone were found to be significant factors to increase migration among the households where a majority of household members migrated. We argue that the decision to migrate of the households where a majority of members migrated increased with the increase of severity of cyclone.