Cascading hazards and entrenched inequalities have slowed recovery and caused ongoing suffering since a 2023 disaster in India’s eastern Himalayas. The event was a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), a phenomenon where a lake dammed by glacial ice suddenly breaks, releasing a massive flood. This particular GLOF occurred on October 3, 2023, unleashing a debris flood of 270 million cubic centimeters that severely impacted the Teesta river valley. Residents in Sikkim, a state in India, have described the aftermath as both physical and psychological. They report that the land has become unstable, with the rainy season now bringing dangerous landslides. Many say the very foundation of the hills in the Teesta Valley has been weakened, leaving communities vulnerable to further disasters. In the years following the 2023 GLOF, recurring road and bridge collapses due to landslides and floods have isolated communities in the region, according to a local environmental charity. These challenges are not unique to Sikkim. A similar disaster occurred in August 2026 in the Bhotekoshi valley, located on the Nepal-Tibet border, and experts believe it was also linked to climate change. Although the causes of the two disasters differ, their effects have been similarly devastating. The Bhotekoshi valley is now more unstable than before the 2026 event, and future reconstruction efforts must consider this new geophysical reality to avoid creating additional risks through unsafe resettlement practices. The 2023 disaster affected both Sikkim and the Kalimpong district in the Indian state of West Bengal. In Sikkim, construction of industrial and military infrastructure continues, including the rebuilding of the Teesta III Chungtang dam, which was damaged by the GLOF. However, funding for long-term recovery and relocation has been slow to arrive and difficult to access. In Kalimpong, the situation is even more dire. A long-standing political conflict over demands for Indian statehood has left local authorities fragmented, under-resourced, and ineffective. As a result, recovery has been delayed, and the flood was not officially recognized as a disaster in West Bengal, limiting government support for those affected. Despite the passage of nearly three years, hundreds of people affected by the 2023 disaster still live in temporary, unsafe housing. Many want to relocate but lack the means to do so. Recovery efforts in Nepal must also consider how factors like geography, caste, class, race, gender, and ability create uneven recovery outcomes, as seen in the aftermath of the GLOF. This complexity is further complicated by the situation on the Chinese-Tibetan side of the border, where the response remains unclear. The scale of the 2023 disaster, which affected people across hundreds of kilometers in Nepal, makes resource distribution particularly challenging. Disaster management policies often rely on rigid frameworks, including strict timeframes and quantifiable metrics, which struggle to address such complexity. By incorporating compassion into recovery efforts, it is possible to make space for grief and drive meaningful changes that lead to more just and equitable futures for those affected. Residents of the Himalayan regions impacted by these disasters are experiencing what experts call "double exposure." They benefit the least from the global economic system driven by fossil fuels, yet they are among the most vulnerable to climate-related disasters. The role of hydroelectric power dams in both disasters adds another layer of complexity, as those affected not only bear the consequences of climate change but also the responses to it. Trans-boundary cooperation will be essential in learning from these disasters across the Himalayas. These events highlight the failures of wealthy, powerful countries and institutions to address global inequality, phase out fossil fuels, and maintain peace. The disasters will reignite important discussions about what "development" means in the Himalayas and who will benefit from it.