At least 1,608 people have lost their lives due to the persistent flooding in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, with forecasts predicting more rain on Friday, further threatening the affected regions. Thailand’s death toll rose to 276, with around four million people affected by the harsh weather and flooded streets in seven southern provinces. While the government does not disclose the total number of missing persons, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported 367 individuals as missing in the country.
In Indonesia, the hardest-hit country by the cyclones in South and Southeast Asia, the death toll reached 846 on Friday, with 547 people missing, nearly 2,700 injured, and approximately 3.5 million affected. Emergency teams are working tirelessly in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra provinces on the island of Sumatra, providing food and medical assistance amidst flooded roads, collapsed bridges, and sediment-covered pathways.
Sri Lanka reported 486 deaths in the morning update, with 341 people still missing according to official reports. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has issued an international aid appeal for the country, seeking $6.2 million to assist the estimated 1.8 million affected population. The ongoing rain forecast on Friday poses additional challenges for rescue and cleanup efforts in the affected areas.
Over 1.1 million individuals have been displaced to shelters and safer locations in these three countries, with total losses exceeding $12 billion. Moreover, new floods occurred on Thursday in Vietnam’s Lam Dong province, affecting around 2,000 homes due to landslides, overflowing water, and fallen trees. The current tropical storm and typhoon season has been notably severe this year, with experts linking the intensity to ocean warming and the devastating impact to deforestation and poor urban planning, among other factors.
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