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Flooding and landslides triggered by weeks of heavy monsoon rains have left hundreds dead and thousands displaced across Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
In Indonesia, officials reported that at least 950 people have died and 274 remain missing in the provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. The national disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) confirmed that over 5,000 people were injured and critical infrastructure including hospitals, schools, offices and bridges has been destroyed.
The widespread devastation has left communities cut off from essential supplies. In Banda Aceh, long queues for drinking water and fuel have formed, while prices of basic commodities such as eggs have surged. BNPB estimates that rebuilding efforts may cost up to 51.82 trillion rupiah ($3.1 billion).
In Sri Lanka, Cyclone Ditwah has killed at least 627 people and displaced more than two million. The Disaster Management Centre has issued warnings of further landslides as heavy monsoon rains continue, with some areas expecting over five centimetres of rainfall on Monday.
To bolster recovery efforts, Sri Lanka has deployed 38,500 security personnel to assist with rescue operations and cleanup. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced a relief package providing financial support of 10 million rupees ($33,000) for affected families to purchase land in safer areas and rebuild homes. Additional assistance is being provided to replace kitchen utensils, bedding and essential food items.
Experts warn that climate change is intensifying and making monsoon rains and tropical storms more unpredictable. Seasonal flooding, once manageable, has become increasingly destructive, contributing to loss of life, widespread displacement and severe economic costs.
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