Humanitarian disaster in Sumatra: 631 dead and one million displaced due to floods and landslides.

Arab Sea Newspaper - Follow-ups:

The death toll from the violent floods and landslides that struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra has risen to 631, according to an official count issued by the National Disaster Management Agency on Tuesday. The agency confirmed that 472 people are still missing, while about 2,600 others were injured in three provinces of the island. More than 3.3 million people were affected in total, and one million were evacuated to temporary shelters, with rescue and relief efforts continuing. The most affected areas: - North Sumatra Province: Recorded the highest number of deaths with *283 fatalities. - West Sumatra: 165 confirmed deaths. - Aceh Province (far north of the island): *156 deaths. Causes of the disaster: Sumatra experienced heavy seasonal rains last week, leading to river flooding and landslides, causing entire areas to be submerged. The situation was exacerbated by poor infrastructure in some rural areas and difficulty in accessing affected areas. Regional context: The disaster is part of a wave of floods and landslides that have affected several countries in Southeast Asia, with Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka recording about *1,200 mass deaths in just one week, reflecting the growing impact of climate change on the region. Warnings and calls: - The Indonesian government has called for urgent international assistance. - Meteorological agencies have warned of the possibility of continued heavy rains in the coming days. - Humanitarian organizations have appealed to the international community to provide urgent medical and relief support. Authorities are continuing search and rescue operations in the face of enormous challenges, including road closures, infrastructure collapse, and overcrowded shelters.