Severe flooding and landslides across Asia have claimed over 1,000 lives, with Sri Lanka and Indonesia among the hardest-hit nations.
Military personnel have been deployed to assist survivors, while entire villages remain cut off by floodwaters.
The disaster was triggered by separate weather systems that brought torrential, prolonged rainfall to Sri Lanka, Indonesia’s Sumatra, southern Thailand, and northern Malaysia last week.
While the region is in its monsoon season, scientists warn that climate change is intensifying storms and increasing the frequency of extreme rainfall events.
In Sri Lanka, at least 355 people have died, with another 366 missing.
Cyclone Ditwah contributed to widespread flooding and landslides, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency.
Military helicopters were used to rescue stranded residents, though one helicopter crash north of Colombo killed the pilot.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake described the floods as the “largest and most challenging natural disaster in our history,” with damage comparable to the 2004 Asian tsunami.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited North Sumatra on Monday, stating, “The worst has passed, hopefully.”
At least 502 people have died in Indonesia, with over 500 missing.
The government has deployed three warships and two hospital ships to aid relief efforts in inaccessible areas, though Prabowo has not requested international assistance.
Thailand also suffered heavily, with 176 confirmed deaths, one of the deadliest flood events in a decade.
In Malaysia, floods in Perlis state have killed two people. In all affected countries, residents were forced to cling to rooftops and wait for rescue by boat or helicopter.
Survivors described the devastation in emotional terms. Misbahul Munir, 28, from North Aceh, Indonesia, said, “Everything in the house was destroyed because it was submerged.
I have only the clothes I am wearing.” In Sri Lanka, delivery driver Dinusha Sanjaya noted, “It is not just the amount of water, but how quickly everything went under.”
Authorities across the region are working to deliver aid, reopen roads, and restore essential services.
Experts warn that with climate change driving more extreme weather, countries must strengthen disaster preparedness and response systems to reduce the impact of future floods.