The death toll in Indonesia from recent flooding has passed 900, with hundreds still missing. More than 100,000 homes were destroyed when a rare and powerful cyclone formed over the Malaca Strait last week, bringing torrential rain and landslides to parts of the Southeast Asian country.
Efforts to reach people in areas still cut off are ongoing, with aid having to be airdropped into some places. The floods in Indonesia are part of a series of extreme weather events affecting Asia, where cumulative fatalities in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam are nearing 2,000.
In Aceh Tamiang, one of the hardest-hit areas, survivors reported villages completely washed away by raging waters. Fitriana, a local survivor, recounted how people survived by clinging to the roofs of their homes for days without sustenance.
Reports indicate that about 90% of the homes in her village were destroyed, leaving 300 families displaced. In distressing accounts, individuals described fleeing to homes on higher ground as their own properties were inundated.
The region's governor has highlighted ongoing search efforts in “waist-deep” mud, stressing that many in remote areas are facing dire conditions without basic necessities. Aid access remains restricted; for instance, Sibolga City and Central Tapanuli are still unreachable by land, with supplies only arriving via air and sea.
The situation has led to reports of increased looting at supermarkets as communities struggle to meet basic needs, demonstrating the complex challenges faced in disaster response amidst an already overwhelmed infrastructure.
Efforts to reach people in areas still cut off are ongoing, with aid having to be airdropped into some places. The floods in Indonesia are part of a series of extreme weather events affecting Asia, where cumulative fatalities in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam are nearing 2,000.
In Aceh Tamiang, one of the hardest-hit areas, survivors reported villages completely washed away by raging waters. Fitriana, a local survivor, recounted how people survived by clinging to the roofs of their homes for days without sustenance.
Reports indicate that about 90% of the homes in her village were destroyed, leaving 300 families displaced. In distressing accounts, individuals described fleeing to homes on higher ground as their own properties were inundated.
The region's governor has highlighted ongoing search efforts in “waist-deep” mud, stressing that many in remote areas are facing dire conditions without basic necessities. Aid access remains restricted; for instance, Sibolga City and Central Tapanuli are still unreachable by land, with supplies only arriving via air and sea.
The situation has led to reports of increased looting at supermarkets as communities struggle to meet basic needs, demonstrating the complex challenges faced in disaster response amidst an already overwhelmed infrastructure.
