UN teams across the region are supporting government-led emergency operations with food, health, water and sanitation aid, medical deployments and early recovery assessments, as heavy rains continue and fears grow that the crisis could deepen.
“We continue to closely monitor the situation and remain in close contact with national authorities“UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York on Thursday.
“The UN stands ready to support any ongoing efforts.“
Storms and cyclones in South and Southeast Asia from November 17 to December 3.
Overlapping storms
Experts say The disasters were caused by an unusual convergence of powerful weather systems.including cyclones Ditwah and Senyar, along with a strengthened northeast monsoon.
Warm ocean temperatures and changing storm tracks have produced extreme rainfall in areas that historically faced a lower risk of cyclones.
Across the region, nearly 11 million people have been affected, including around 1.2 million forced to leave their homes and take refuge in shelters, while roads, utilities and farmland have been washed away.
A man stands under more than three feet of water in Gampaha, Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka: nationwide devastation
Sri Lanka suffered some of the worst impacts after Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on November 28, causing flooding and landslides across almost the entire island.
The highest death toll was recorded in the mountainous districts of Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Badulla, where landslides devastated plantation communities. Severe flooding also inundated the western and northwestern districts, including the outer suburbs of Colombo, disrupting markets, transportation and water supply.
Children have been especially affected: it is estimated that more than 275,000 have been affected.
Bridges and access roads washed away by a landslide in West Sumatra, Indonesia.
Indonesia: flash floods and landslides
In Indonesia, incessant rains from 22 to 25 November caused deadly flooding and landslides. in Aceh, West Sumatra and North Sumatra, devastating dozens of districts.
Official figures indicate more than 830 deaths, at least 500 people remain missing and more than 880,000 displaced. In total, more than three million people have been affected by flooding, hill collapses and destroyed infrastructure.
Entire towns were submerged, bridges washed away and roads cut, isolating communities and slowing rescue efforts. Emergency crews rely on helicopters and boats to bring aid to areas that cannot be reached by land.
“We are working closely with the government on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), logistics and coordination with local partners,” said UN spokesperson Dujarric.
A teacher inspects damage to a daycare classroom at a school in Thailand.
Thailand and Malaysia: mass evacuations
Moving east, Intensifying monsoon rains have hit southern Thailandwhere 12 provinces have been affected.
At least 185 people have died, 367 are missing and more than four million people are affected. More than 219,000 residents have been displaced as rivers burst their banks and low-lying coastal areas were flooded.
In neighboring Malaysia, floods in eight northern and central states has displaced some 37,000 people. Authorities continue to issue evacuation orders and weather warnings as rain persists.
A UNICEF staff member delivers ready-to-eat food to a family in Tuyên Quang, Vietnam.
Vietnam: a relentless typhoon season
Vietnam faces the cumulative cost of one of the harshest typhoon seasons in years. Since October, a succession of storms has flooded and damaged large areas of the country, especially in the northern and central provinces.
Persistent rains since mid-November, aggravated by Tropical Cyclone Koto, have caused new landslides and prolonged displacement. A joint national response plan is underway to address food insecurity, health risks and infrastructure damage.
To support the response, $2.6 million has been allocated from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
Gampaha (pictured), a district on the outskirts of Colombo, has been among the worst affected areas by flooding following Cyclone Ditwah.
Disasters worsened by climate change
UN agencies say the storms reflect a broader shift toward more intense and unpredictable weather across the Asia-Pacific. Cyclone Ditwah moved unusually southwards along the Sri Lankan coast, while Cyclone Senyar formed near the equator in the Strait of Malacca, a rare occurrence.
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in its latest report published last week, warned that Rising temperatures are fundamentally reshaping the region’s risk landscape..
Warmer ocean waters are increasing the potential for extreme precipitation, while rapid urban growth, deforestation and wetland loss are magnifying the impacts of flooding. Even where early warnings were issued, rapidly rising water overwhelmed evacuation routes in some places.