Floods in Southeast Asia

“The Greatest Natural Disaster in Sri Lanka’s History”

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara describes last week’s cyclone as “the greatest and most challenging natural disaster in our history,” reports the New York Times.

The 2004 tsunami killed tens of thousands in Sri Lanka and caused billions in damage. However, the effects were not as widespread as they are now, according to Vinya Ariyaratne, head of the relief organization Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement.

“Almost the entire country is a disaster zone. That’s the difference compared to the tsunami – it only hit the coastal areas,” he says.

350 people have been confirmed dead, hundreds are missing and tens of thousands have been forced to flee their homes. One million people have been affected by the floods and landslides, and the destruction is almost incalculable, according to authorities.

Food-starved victims: "I only have the clothes on my body"

The death toll from the floods in Southeast Asia has now passed 1,000, AFP reports. In the worst-hit countries, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, the military has been deployed to help survivors.

The worst-hit is the Indonesian island of Sumatra, where many are now without food and other necessities, writes the BBC. Many in the province of Aceh have not eaten for several days, as emergency aid has not arrived.

28-year-old Misbahul Munir says he waded through water up to his neck to reach his parents. The house was destroyed because it was under water and he is now at an evacuation center in northern Aceh.

"I only have the clothes on my body," he tells AFP, breaking down in tears.