Sri Lanka and Indonesia mobilized their forces on Monday (1st) to help victims of devastating floods that left more than a thousand dead and hundreds missing in South and Southeast Asia in recent days.
A group of weather phenomena caused prolonged heavy rains last week in Sri Lanka, parts of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, southern Thailand and northern Malaysia.
In Sumatra, the death toll rose on Monday (first) to 593 dead and 468 missing, the Disaster Management Agency announced, and it is the worst natural disaster in the country since 2018, when an earthquake followed by a tsunami killed more than 2,000 people.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is facing increasing pressure to declare a state of emergency in the face of the disaster, and he said in North Sumatra that the priority is to speed up the delivery of aid.
He added: “There are several isolated villages that we will be able to reach, with God’s help,.” The government has mobilized helicopters, planes, military ships and two medical boats to the worst-hit areas, where many roads remain impassable.
“The water reached my neck,” Misbul Munir, 28, a resident of North Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra, told AFP.
Unable to hold back his tears, he added, “The water level has risen by about two metres. All the furniture is damaged. I only have the clothes I’m wearing.” He added that for people who have taken refuge in shelters, “the conditions are worrying. There are pregnant women and young children.”
Al-Zamzami, 33, described the arrival of the water as “like a tsunami wave that cannot be stopped.” “It’s hard to describe the amount of water there, it was really impressive.”
Sri Lanka declares a state of emergency and requests international assistance
In Sri Lanka, the government declared a state of emergency, requested international assistance and sent military helicopters to reach communities isolated by floods and landslides.
At least 340 people died, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. The rains stopped in Colombo on Monday, raising hopes that the water levels would recede.
In the Ma Oya area, north of the capital, residents are trying to clean homes after the floods.
“The water level has gone down, but the house is full of mud,” resident Hasita Wijewardena told local media.
The authorities said they are still assessing the extent of the damage in the center of the country, which is the most affected area, while emergency teams are trying to open closed roads.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who declared a state of emergency, promised to rebuild the devastated areas.
He expressed in a message to the country, “We are facing the largest and most difficult natural disaster in our history.” “Without a doubt, we will build a better country than it was before.”
The losses and damage are the most severe in Sri Lanka since the 2004 tsunami, which killed nearly 31,000 people and displaced more than a million people.
Thais criticize government response
Military helicopters were sent to rescue isolated residents and transport food supplies, but a plane crashed on Sunday north of Colombo.
Sylvie (46 years old), a resident of the Winawat suburb of the capital, said that she left her house, which was flooded with water, on Sunday with four bags of clothes and other possessions. “My house is completely flooded,” he told AFP. “I don’t know where to go, but I hope to find a shelter where I can take my family.”
Floods in southern Thailand have claimed the lives of 176 people, authorities said on Monday, in one of the worst weather events the country has witnessed in ten years.
The government sent aid, but residents criticized the flood response. Two government officials were suspended due to the inadequate response.
In Malaysia, two people died in Perlis state during floods.
The monsoon has been exacerbated by global warming
Much of Asia experiences the annual monsoon season, marked by heavy rains, landslides and floods. But the recent floods were exacerbated by a rare tropical storm that dumped large amounts of rain, especially on Sumatra.
Global warming increases the intensity of storms and the amount of precipitation, as the warmer atmosphere retains more moisture.