Governments across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia are scrambling to deliver emergency relief to hundreds of thousands of people left homeless after catastrophic floods that have already claimed nearly 1,200 lives.
Weeks of monsoon downpours combined with two tropical cyclones triggered massive flooding across Sri Lanka and parts of Indonesia’s Sumatra, as well as southern Thailand and northern Malaysia.
Experts warn that climate change is intensifying rainfall, with warmer air storing more moisture and hotter oceans fueling stronger storms.
Aid Rushed as Prices Spike and Supplies Run Out
Although floodwaters are now retreating, the destruction has forced vast communities into shelters, leaving many struggling for food, clean water, medicine, and fuel.
In Aceh, among Indonesia’s worst-hit regions, residents described soaring prices, long queues, and widespread panic-buying.
“Roads are cut off, fuel is running low, and essentials are already sky-high,” said Banda Aceh resident Erna Mardhiah, who waited hours at a petrol station.
To stabilise the situation, the Indonesian government has dispatched 34,000 tons of rice and 6.8 million litres of cooking oil to Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. Aid groups warn that if supply routes are not reopened within a week, food shortages could escalate into hunger emergencies.
Islamic Relief confirmed its 12-tonne food shipment to Aceh via an Indonesian navy vessel, while the disaster agency reported 631 people killed in Sumatra alone, with 472 still missing and over a million displaced.
Survivors spoke of sudden, towering walls of water that swept away homes in minutes. Villagers took refuge on rooftops and in local markets as power outages, communication blackouts, and dirty water worsened the crisis.
Thailand and Malaysia Also Hit Hard
Southern Thailand reported 176 deaths, while Malaysia recorded two more fatalities from related floods.
Sri Lanka Declares Emergency Amid Worst Disaster in History
A separate storm system drenched Sri Lanka, unleashing flash floods and deadly landslides that killed at least 390 people, with 352 still missing.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency, describing the situation as the “most challenging natural disaster in the country’s history.”
With international help from India and Pakistan, Sri Lanka’s air force has been airlifting stranded families and delivering urgent supplies to remote areas.
As waters slowly recede in Colombo, residents say the speed and intensity of the flooding took them completely by surprise.
Despite improving weather, landslide warnings remain in effect across the worst-affected central regions.
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