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Asia floods trigger race against time to rescue survivors

Tuesday 02 - 07:30

By: Sahili Aya

Asia floods trigger race against time to rescue survivors

Massive flooding and deadly landslides across parts of Asia have left more than 1,160 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced, prompting an urgent mobilization of rescue teams in Indonesia and Sri Lanka — the two countries hit hardest by the catastrophe.

In Indonesia, where torrential rains and landslides have claimed over 630 lives, authorities are struggling to deliver food and essential supplies to communities cut off from the rest of the country. The national disaster agency reported on Tuesday that the number of evacuees has surpassed one million as monsoon rains, intensified by two separate tropical cyclones, brought unprecedented destruction to Sumatra and surrounding regions.

Climate specialists note that global warming is increasing the severity of rainfall events, as warmer air holds more moisture and rising ocean temperatures can fuel stronger storms. Although rainfall weakened on Monday, allowing some waters to recede, vast areas remain devastated, forcing survivors to confront acute shortages of food, clean water, and fuel.

In Aceh, on the northern tip of Sumatra — a region still scarred by the 2004 tsunami — residents described panic buying as fears of shortages spread. Fuel lines stretched for hours, and food prices soared, with basic goods such as chili peppers reaching record highs.

To address the crisis, the Indonesian government announced the deployment of 34,000 tons of rice and 6.8 million liters of cooking oil to the hardest-hit provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. Calls are growing for President Prabowo Subianto to declare a nationwide state of emergency to speed up relief coordination.

Humanitarian organizations warn that the situation could worsen dramatically if supply chains are not restored within days. Islamic Relief issued a stark warning that communities across Aceh could face “severe food shortages and famine” within a week if aid deliveries fail to reach them.

Across Sumatra, where 472 people remain missing and more than 2,600 are injured, survivors described walls of water rushing through villages with terrifying force. “It felt like a tsunami wave,” said Zamzami, a resident of East Aceh.

Sri Lanka has also been ravaged by extreme weather, with sudden floods and landslides killing at least 390 people and leaving hundreds missing. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency and pledged to rebuild what he described as “the greatest disaster in our history.”

With support from India and Pakistan, the Sri Lankan Air Force continues evacuations and food deliveries in isolated zones. Although heavy rains have eased, landslide alerts remain active across the central highlands, the region most severely affected.