Relentless monsoon rains and tropical storms battering South and Southeast Asia have unleashed deadly floods and landslides that killed more than 1,700 people and left millions struggling for food, water, and medical care, with Indonesia and Sri Lanka bearing the brunt of the devastation.
In Indonesia’s western provinces, where swollen rivers engulfed entire communities, officials say 961 people have been confirmed dead and nearly 300 more remain missing across Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency reported more than 1 million displaced and over 5,000 injured as roads, hospitals, and power lines collapsed under days of pounding rain.
Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf said shortages were growing acute. “Everything is lacking, especially medical personnel. We are short on doctors,” he told reporters Sunday.
In Pidie Jaya, one of the worst-hit districts, four trained elephants were deployed to haul wreckage from toppled homes and shift cars lodged in mud. “Our target is to clear debris so residents can reach what remains of their homes,” said Hadi Sofyan, who heads the local conservation agency. The elephants will work throughout the week.
Across western Indonesia, queues for fuel and drinking water stretched for blocks as prices for basic staples climbed sharply. Authorities estimate reconstruction could cost more than 51 trillion rupiah ($3.1 billion).
The scale of destruction has pushed Jakarta to reassess its disaster preparedness. President Prabowo Subianto said Indonesia plans to purchase up to 200 helicopters in 2026 to bolster both defense and emergency response capacities.
Sri Lanka, reeling from the century’s most destructive cyclone, faces a parallel crisis. Cyclone Ditwah has killed at least 627 people, left 209 missing, and affected more than two million. With fresh monsoon rain expected, the army doubled its deployment to 38,500 troops for rescue and cleanup operations. “Security forces have rescued more than 31,000 people in distress,” Army Chief Lasantha Rodrigo said.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced a relief package offering 10 million rupees ($33,000) for families to buy land in safer zones, along with cash assistance for basic necessities. But the government – still recovering from the 2022 economic collapse – has appealed for international help, including from the IMF.
Across the region, the UN reported rising tolls in Thailand, India, and Malaysia: at least 185 dead and 367 missing in southern Thailand, four dead in India, and three in Malaysia. Climate scientists warn that monsoon patterns, once predictable lifelines for rice farming and regional agriculture, are becoming more violent and erratic as global temperatures rise.
