Floods in Asia: New Rains in Sri Lanka, Indonesians Seek More Aid

Floods in Asia: New rains have hit Sri Lanka, while Indonesians are calling for more assistance.

Affected by catastrophic floods and landslides that have claimed over 1,800 lives across Asia, Sri Lanka issued new alerts on Sunday regarding the risk of additional landslides with the return of rainfall, while Indonesia was working to enhance aid delivery.

In Sri Lanka, heavy rains have once again lashed regions already devastated by a powerful cyclone, raising the death toll to 627, according to the latest government figures, which also report 190 people missing.

In total, over 1,800 people have died in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam due to a series of tropical storms and monsoon rains that have caused landslides and flash floods since last week.

More than two million Sri Lankans, nearly 10% of the population, have been affected by the passage of Cyclone Ditwah last week, the worst the island nation has experienced since the beginning of the century.

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) announced on Sunday that monsoon storms were bringing new rains and destabilizing the terrain, particularly in the central mountainous region and the interior northwest. Helicopters and planes have been used to supply areas in the center of the country made inaccessible by landslides.

Rebuilding 80,000 Homes

The Sri Lankan Air Force announced on Sunday that it had received a plane loaded with humanitarian aid from Myanmar, as Colombo sought international assistance.

The number of people in refugee camps, which had peaked at 225,000, has however dropped back to 90,000 due to the receding waters, the DMC stated.

The government announced on Friday a significant compensation plan aimed at rebuilding over 80,000 affected homes—5,000 of which were completely destroyed—and assisting businesses, as the country emerges from its severe economic crisis in 2022.

Authorities estimated that the reconstruction could cost up to seven billion dollars. The International Monetary Fund has announced it is reviewing a request for 200 million dollars from Colombo for reconstruction efforts.

In Indonesia, where the toll from the devastating weather reached 916 dead and 274 missing on Sunday, President Prabowo Subianto visited the province of Aceh, in the northwest of the large island of Sumatra, which has been heavily impacted by the disaster.

"It looks like a disaster tourism trip," said 35-year-old Syahrul to AFP about the president's visit. In Aceh province, he held up signs with others urging the leader to do more than just "walk around" in their devastated region.

National Priority

The State Secretariat Ministry assured that this Sunday visit aimed to "ensure the acceleration of emergency interventions and reconstruction in the affected areas."

The Indonesian government has so far ignored pressure from affected communities to declare a national disaster state, which would free up more resources and allow governmental agencies to coordinate their efforts.

Shortly after arriving in the local capital, Banda Aceh, Prabowo Subianto promised to repair "all bridges, if possible within one to two weeks."

"Flood management in Aceh is a national priority" for the government, the State Secretariat Ministry stated in a communication.

Many survivors reported that their greatest need remained access to clean drinking water.