More than 1,400 people killed by devastating floods in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia

BATANG TORU, Indonesia Several Asian nations are grappling with the aftermath of severe rainfall that triggered devastating floods and landslides last week, resulting in over 1,400 fatalities across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia. The catastrophe has also exposed sharp economic inequalities in the region.

Indonesia has suffered the highest death toll, with at least 753 confirmed dead, followed by Sri Lanka at 465. Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake noted that the final casualty count in his country remains uncertain. Thailand has reported 185 fatalities, while Malaysia has confirmed three deaths. Rescue teams are racing against time to reach remote villages, with more than 1,000 individuals still missing and communities buried under mud and debris amid ongoing power and communication outages.

Indonesias President Prabowo Subianto visited affected areas on Monday, pledging aid and reconstruction support, although he has not yet declared a national emergency or sought international assistance, unlike Sri Lanka. Both Indonesia and Thailand, middle-income nations with stronger fiscal resources, are able to launch large-scale rescue operations, mobilize military support, and allocate emergency funds. Sri Lanka, still recovering from a severe economic crisis, is responding under more constrained circumstances. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya recently met with foreign diplomats to request assistance for relief and rebuilding efforts.

Authorities in Indonesia reported that the combined impact of prolonged heavy rains and a rare tropical storm hitting Sumatra has resulted in the deadliest natural disaster in the country since the 2018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami, which claimed over 4,300 lives. Flooded roads, collapsed bridges, and continuing landslides have hindered rescue operations, with approximately 650 people still missing in North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh provinces. Thousands of residents in inundated towns had to take refuge on rooftops and trees in previous days. More than 1.5 million people have been displaced, and tens of thousands of homes and public facilities have been damaged. Local hospitals are overwhelmed with around 2,600 injured individuals, prompting the deployment of three hospital ships to the affected regions.

In Sri Lanka, the floods are expected to significantly impact the nations economy, which had only recently begun stabilizing following an unprecedented financial crisis. The country remains under an International Monetary Fund bailout program requiring careful management of foreign currency reserves to repay defaulted external debt starting in 2028. Damage to infrastructure, agricultural losses, and the costs of restoring livelihoods are expected to strain the governments finances. Major rice-growing areas and key vegetable-producing regions have been heavily affected, potentially forcing the country to use its limited foreign currency reserves. India, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates have already provided aid, with additional support pledged by foreign diplomats.

In Thailand, government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek reported that recovery in southern regions is progressing, with water and electricity restored in nearly all affected areas. More than 1 billion baht ($31.3 million) has been distributed as compensation to over 120,000 households impacted by the floods.

Reporting from Jakarta, Indonesia, with contributions from Jintamas Saksornchai in Bangkok, Krishan Francis in Colombo, Eranga Jayawardena in Sarasavigama, and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur.

Author: Sophia Brooks