Severe Weather Continues to Batter South, Southeast Asian Nations
Extraordinary flooding, landslides, violent storms and cyclones have unleashed destruction across Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, with authorities scrambling desperately to extract trapped populations, distribute critical supplies, and calculate the catastrophic damage.
In Indonesia, the National Disaster Management Agency reported that floods and landslides in Sumatra alone have claimed 593 lives, with 468 people still missing.
North Sumatra has documented 217 fatalities and 209 disappeared, while West Sumatra counts 129 deaths with 118 still missing, and Aceh province records 96 killed and 75 vanished.
Hundreds of residential structures lie ruined, 1.1 million citizens impacted, and over 290,000 forced from homes, as emergency teams maintain sweeping operations searching for the disappeared across multiple zones.
President Prabowo Subianto toured devastated territories Monday and commanded full national force deployment—including armed forces—to accelerate crisis response.
Prabowo faces mounting demands to declare a national emergency; however, he said the worst has passed and that the government's priority was to swiftly deliver aid to those affected.
Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency issued fresh heavy-rain warnings on Monday across major cities, including Sumatra.
The calamity marks the archipelago's deadliest since 2018, when a colossal earthquake and tsunami in Sulawesi murdered more than 2,000 citizens.
Sri Lanka deploys military
Sri Lanka has mobilized armed forces to bolster search, rescue and humanitarian operations as the crushing Cyclone Ditwah has pummeled the island since November 17, claiming 355 lives with 366 vanished.
Authorities report 1.12 million individuals from over 309,607 households have suffered impacts, while emergency shelters house 180,499 evacuees.
Saturday saw President Anura Kumara Dissanayake proclaim a state of emergency and request international aid addressing Cyclone Ditwah's extensive devastation.
China has committed $100,000, Nepal $200,000, Australia $650,000 and the Maldives $50,000, while an 80-member Indian relief contingent already operates in-country.
Japan and Bangladesh are likewise dispatching humanitarian teams to the island republic.
Officials have halted all educational activities in universities and schools until December 8.
A Sri Lankan Air Force helicopter crashed during relief operations on Sunday and all crew members survived.
Thailand grappling with worst flooding in 25 years
Southern Thailand confronts its most severe flooding in 25 years, with approximately 170 casualties reported. The hardest-struck Songkhla province alone accounts for 126 fatalities.
Floodwaters have submerged 105 districts spanning nine provinces, devastating 1.16 million households and nearly three million citizens.
Hat Yai, the largest city in Songkhla province, recorded 335 mm of rain last Friday, the highest single-day total in 300 years.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has already declared a state of emergency in Songkhla and pledged compensation for victims, while emergency teams deliver food, water, mobile kitchens, and rescue boats.
Monday witnessed Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn announcing he would provide 20,000 baht ($620) in personal funds to each family of those killed in the floods.
In Malaysia, flooding also struck seven states bordering Thailand, killing three individuals and affecting thousands more. However, conditions there have stabilized as floodwaters retreated.
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